By the time we hit our 40s into 50s and later, often our daily activities are on autopilot. We drive the same way to work. Go to the same restaurants and order our favorite dish. We even get stuck in a fashion loop and wear the same favorite outfit.
Over the years, we’ve created our very our very own groundhog day; different day but everything is on repeat. As a result, many middle-agers are in continuous state of boredom. We’ve taken on needed roles from our adult lives such as parents and career, but now that we’ve entered midlife, its time to rediscover ourselves and get back in touch with who we are. It’s also the time to peel back the layers and discover a whole new interests and possibilities. What we are missing is the CURIOSITY that we had in our youth.
Get out of the negative midlife trap and recreate a sense of adventure and newness into your life. It’s also beneficial for your brain. When we make small changes to our daily routine it the brain rewires itself in response, igniting creativity and increasing your cognitive ability.
4 Simple Ways To Energize Your Midlife
1. Make one change to your morning routine.
We all have a daily routine. I used to wake up and immediately make my coffee and then go brush my teeth. Then get coffee and watch CNN. So I changed it up. Now I brush my teeth, make coffee and drink it while sitting in my rocking chair enjoying the sunrise. Then I go into my daily prayer time. I noticed that my day is more calm and focused now.
- Change your sleep routine.
- Take a different route to work.
- One small change might be all you need to start the day off with a mindset.
2. Learn something new.
When you get back to learning and exploring, your view about life refreshes and expands.
- Go to a museum or historical site.
- Learn how to paint or to play a musical instrument.
- Go to the library and get a stack of books to read.
- Take a free online course or learn a foreign language.
3. Incorporate play into your life.
Remember how you used to play when you were a kid? Break the monotony of work and get back to having fun. This will relieve stress and even keep you feeling young again.
- Play or watch a sport
- Ride rollercoaster or go skydiving.
- Get up on stage on open mic night.
4. Step outside your comfort zone.
Most of us have something that we’ve always wanted to accomplish but life’s unexpected changes knocked us off course, or fear kept us from pursuing it. Well now is better than never. Time to check it off your bucket list and just get it done. Don’t’ worry about the final results. Just start now and complete it. You will have greater life satisfaction when you do.
- Start writing that novel that you shelved years ago.
- Start your dream business, even if you have to do it part-time on the weekends.
Midlife boredom occurs when we feel stagnant. Reignite your life by breaking your daily routine. Start slow with one simple change and open you will open your world to new possibilities.
About the author:
Cenita Johnson is the author of “Supreme Warrior: Battle Through Life’s Obstacles and Take Charge of Your Dreams” which provides resilience and perseverance principles to overcome life’s challenges.
She provides individual strategic life coaching and gives a 6 week online workshop titled, It’s Not Too Late: Start Now & Reinvent You Life in Your Mid-30s, 40s, 50s & Beyond to help mid-lifers create a strategic plan of action to reignite purpose and excitement in their personal lives and career. Visit her at The Midlife Leap.