This week we are talking about keeping the spring in our step and staying youthful in body and mind.
I’m sure some of you can relate to this…Like many people, I have found the last few months quite challenging, and at times, keeping my energy high and keeping the ‘spring in my step’ felt impossible! But looking back over this time and taking some time to reflect, I realised why this may be, so I thought I would share this with you today in the hope that it may help you, if your spark has not yet returned.
If you have young children in your family or walk past a park, take a moment to pause and observe. Children have a lot to teach us! You are likely to see the children climbing over the equipment, running around and generally having a great time! They are always trying something new! But as time goes on and we move into adulthood, we begin to have more responsibilities and start to form routine in our life, whether it be with work, exercise, the food we eat, and even the TV programs we watch!
And similar to when you climbed up the slide for the first time as a child, some of the everyday activities that you do now may have seemed quite a challenge, and even scary at first, but as you do it again and again, it is likely to just became the norm.
So why am I talking about this and how does it link in to staying youthful?! Research from neuroscientists suggest that our brain is hardwired to seek ‘novelty and challenge’. Essentially it is looking for new things! When we carry out new tasks, the brain is kicked into action and releases dopamine which is a chemical messenger. Dopamine allows us to feel pleasure, and helps us focus and find things interesting. New experiences also help to keep our brain engaged, which is what the brain is designed to do. If it is not activated in this way, that is when boredom, frustration and restlessness starts to kick in. Hands up who felt this over the last few months?!
With the recent events with coronavirus and society being forced to change – businesses closing, travel being cancelled, and even going to the shop being a challenge, it has forced many of us to have more of a strict routine, but also limited some of the opportunities for trying something new!
Speaking personally, despite getting out and about in nature as much as possible which I love, and keeping my brain engaged with work and study, I really missed the spontaneity of life, like popping out to my favourite café, meeting up with friends and family, or even going to the gym when I wanted. I started to notice my energy, moods, and general enthusiasm significantly dip. As I got into this new routine which really wasn’t kicking my brain into action, I have found it quite difficult to push myself out of it.
I had a scenario recently where I was invited to a social event, and I was trying to think of every excuse not to go! I really couldn’t understand why I felt this way, but I realised it was because I hadn’t attended an event like this for months, and it was creating resistance because it would mean trying something ‘new’ and pushing me out of my comfort zone! After much deliberation I am pleased to say I went and had the best time. I was so pleased I did push myself to go and would highly encourage you to do the same if you feel that resistance.
Enjoying new experiences regularly is one of the best ways to remain fully engaged, energised, and enthusiastic throughout life. Performance coach and author Brendon Burchard talks about this in detail, but here are a few suggestions you could try today:
It doesn’t need to be a big overhaul. I’m sure you’ve probably got lots going on in life already, but even the simplest of things like walking your dog via a new route or driving a different way to work will help to keep your brain engaged and provide that energy and spark we all have inside of us, regardless of age!
So what can you try today? I would love to hear.
I wish you a happy and healthy week.
With love,
Sarah
