Happiness Blog April 1, 2019

Spring is in the air and everywhere for the northern hemisphere, making this the perfect season to make a commitment to get out more and try new things. Even introverts need time away from home. Time spent away from home is good for the brain because it creates diversity in our experiences. When we have diversity, it affords us the opportunity to retrain our brain, decrease negative thought patterns, and increase positivity. Our brain are creatures of habit. Our thought patterns become habitual. Change in our action allows us to create change in our thoughts. Getting out and away from home disrupts our pre-established mental patterns.

Getting away can be made easy with a good plan. Consider whether you would like to go some place near or far, with people or alone. Once you decide the details of where you want to go and who you want to travel with (or without), ask yourself how. How do you want to get there and how long do you want to stay? I personally am a huge fan of day trips by car. My husband is a huge fan of day trips by train. Our son likes both. My point is that there are no right or wrong answers.

This is about what’s best for you and what feeds your soul. When planning, ask yourself: What will replenish me? This trip should be first and foremost about replenishing your emotional reserves. Doing something new and novel or visiting an old haunt can have a restorative impact on our wellbeing. Life can be so busy that we can forget to recharge. Embrace the gift of the change of season to get out there and enjoy life. A day trip, weekend trip, or full-on vacation can do wonders.

Posted on Monday: 01 April, 2019