I thought the fix to feeling like I wasn't really living was rest but actually it was something very different.
I found the solution out by accident. I'd been eating dinner in front of the TV every night for years, same seat, same plate, same show. One evening I took my plate into the garden instead.
That small act made a huge change. Why? Because every day had become identical enough that I stopped paying attention. Eating in the garden interrupted that pattern and turned on a switch that made me realize I didn't have to do much to feel better. Once I noticed what it did, I started testing it on purpose. I named it An ALIVE List.
It would have been easy for me to think that's too small an act to make such a big difference but it wasn't. I tested it by walking a different way to work. Cooking myself a meal I haven't eaten before. Turning the TV off and singing for 10 minutes. There were these little things that I did. Just once a day. Sometimes just once a week but they really helped pull me out of the feeling of just existing. Those small acts got me out of my rut.
Small acts that pulled me out of just existing
- Eat a meal somewhere differentTake your plate into the garden.
- Walk a different way to workSame trip, new route.
- Cook a meal you haven't eaten beforeJust for you.
- Turn the TV off and sing for 10 minutesOut loud.
If today feels like every other day lately, don't wait for a big enough reason to change it. Go start An ALIVE List and pick one thing to do differently this week.
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If something about your life feels slightly off, but you struggle to explain why, this toolkit will help you see it clearly.
See the bundle →Part of our guide: An ALIVE List →
