Our brains love new things, new experiences, and new surroundings. Novelty gets us to pay attention and motivates us, which makes us seek rewards that are likely to give us a dopamine (sometimes dubbed “the happy chemical”) boost. It may even help us to experience gratitude, because changes in our surroundings sometimes make us realize what we took for granted in the everyday. And novelty stimulates conversation and connectedness. We have more interesting fodder to share with our loved ones, sparking interesting discussions.
My challenge for you is to go find something new and exciting in the ordinary. Do something new to jazz up your usual daily routine (like driving a different route home, use a new toothpaste, or grocery shop at a new market). Make a note to do something new every week. Capture the experience by snapping a photo or journaling about it.
Today my novel experience is exploring Hanapepe town and walking on the swinging bridge. For the locals, it’s an ordinary thing - the residents walk across the bridge multiple times a day to get from their homes to town center. But for me, it was a brand new experience!
