Most of us are settled into our routines. Wake up, check emails, grab a coffee, hop on the train, get to work. It’s not our fault, it’s the efficient way that our brains work. “Having this autopilot mode allows the conscious mind to be freed up for other tasks,” says Gemma Griffith, a director at the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University.
However, autopilot mode can have its downsides. By being so wedded to our ingrained habits and routine we can risk becoming disconnected from other people and our surroundings, and missing out on everyday magic. For Griffith the remedy is simple: “It’s about switching back to ‘being’ mode rather than ‘doing’ mode and focusing our attention on the present moment”. Here are 10 ways to shake up your routine and relish the everyday.
Take time out
You don’t have to trek to the top of a mountain to find inner peace. Whether you’re on your commute or taking a lunchtime stroll, take the time to open up your awareness. “Focus on your walking, how your feet feel on the ground, the temperature of the weather at that moment, and the sounds you hear,” says Griffith. Coax your mind into the present moment by taking a different route home or trying out a new lunch spot.
Be more basic
Fashion’s love affair with utilitarian dressing continues, with pared-back basics the lynchpins of Instagram’s most followed fashion icons. “The current appetite for streetwear and the rise of high-street stores that specialise in stocking classic key items, such as brands like Arket, prove that the trend for basics is going nowhere,” says stylist Laura Martin. The humble white t-shirt, the classic hoodie and ordinary gym trainers have never been more on trend. The good news is, they’re probably already in your wardrobe.
Rethink your favourite foods
The internet has turned eating into an art form. While home chefs could once have lived a lifetime using only Mrs Beeton’s Cookery Book for company, today we are googling ambitious dishes then feverishly photographing and hashtagging the results. But have we forgotten the simple pleasure of ordinary meals and ingredients? As the zeitgeist turns towards a balanced approach to eating, bloggers such as the Ugly Vegan are performing the seemingly revolutionary act of sharing unfiltered, familiar dishes. For your next evening in, why not grab a bag of imperfect veg and create something extraordinarily ordinary?
Notice art around you
You don’t have to go to a gallery to appreciate great art and design: seek out signs of creativity all around you. If you’re in London, look up Art on the Underground’s Brixton mural map, leading to examples of street art in the area dating back to the 1970s and 1980s. Based in Manchester? Check out the street art tours on offer by writer Hayley Flynn, who set up bespoke tours of the city to put a spotlight on the local landscape of the Northern Quarter, which is packed with rich history. Over in Bristol, the tourist office has published free, downloadable walking tours of Banksy’s work.
Discover hidden libraries
From repurposed old red phone boxes to shelves at the train station, hidden libraries are popping up everywhere. The literary scheme Read Now, Write Now has teamed up to create book exchange shelves along the Wirral train line, and Clapham North tube station in London has a book swap shelf located at its entrance. Over in Crossmichael in southern Scotland and Amberley in Stroud, locals have turned their old phone boxes into mini libraries. The pleasure in these new makeshift lending libraries? “You get to discover new gems,” says Fruzsina Bekefi who runs a monthly book swap out of east London reading nook Libreria. “It’s a great way to widen my horizons and inject a bit of serendipity into my life.”
Find a new perspective
There are more than 4m posts for #lookup on Instagram and with good reason: from intricate architecture to stunning skies, there’s so much you could miss if you keep your eyes trained on the ground. And as we shuffle along our daily tramlines, our thinking can get stuck in a rut too. Head up a hillside or tall building for a fresh look at where you live, or mix up your commute by getting off a stop or two early and walking the rest of the way.
Discover hidden history
Whether you are a fan of poets, musicians, athletes or writers, it’s worth keeping your eyes peeled for the English Heritage blue plaque scheme. The plaques dotted around London point out where notable creatives lived in the city, from children’s author AA Milne to the black composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. The English heritage scheme has also influenced other local areas across the UK to celebrate their histories, too – so look out for blue plaques in Brighton and Hove, South Tyneside and Leeds (thanks to the local Leeds Civic Trust).
Shake up your workout
If your idea of exercise is headphones and a running machine, why not break the habit and explore a more sociable way to exercise? GoodGym hosts running meet-ups across the UK, combining fitness with an activity that benefits the local community. Jog to meet an isolated elderly person, sort out cans at a food bank or pitch in to tidy someone’s garden. A recent study from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in the US proved that team exercise can lower stress and improve quality of life.
Appreciate more
Busy doesn’t have to equal stress – it’s all about how you approach it, says Griffith. “Do a routine activity mindfully, whether that is brushing your teeth or eating breakfast in the morning, by adjusting your senses to what you are doing,” she says. The benefits of mindfulness are worth it. “It’s a practise that lowers the stress hormone cortisol. It encourages those who apply mindfulness to their daily lives to have more compassion for themselves and others,” says Griffith.
Get back to nature
Gwyneth Paltrow’s love of grounding has been well documented (and much maligned), but how about a spot of forest bathing? This new nature buzzword refers to a rising trend in green spaces inspired by a Japanese tradition. Try it by heading to your local forest or woodland trail and soaking up everything you see, touch, hear and smell. Even if you can’t make it that far afield, swap that “al desko” lunch for some much needed vitamin D – it’s the perfect pick-me-up when daylight hours are in such short supply.
The Curiosity Rooms events take place at 55 Regent Street from 15 November to 16 December 2018. During opening hours, the space is always free to explore. Booking is only required for special scheduled events. Find out more at events.withgoogle.com/curiosityrooms/
