Try New Things: Part 5 of 7 Practical Ways to Nourish Yourself

Welcome back to 7 Practical Ways to Nourish Yourself! In the last four weeks, we’ve discussed the importance of quality nutrition, moving the body with exercise, practicing mindfulness and limiting media exposure. I’m hopeful that you’ve been able to begin implementing some of these practices into your regular habits.

As you build in these nourishing activities, consider how you’re changing your perspective or identify how your body responds to these adjustments. Regular reflection is valuable.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed, stuck, bored or any other range of emotions, another way you can nourish your mind and body is to try something new! That’s right … if you learn a new skill, you can feel better! So today, I’ll share some practical reasons why that’s helpful and offer some new ideas that you may be able to give a go this week.

Part 5: Try New Things
Make something, Learn something, Do something 

• Creating new experiences builds trust in yourself. Thinking of a small child, consider how exciting it is for them to learn something new … how we praise the wobbly 10-month old as those first steps happen. That response is joy, confidence, excitement, fun—just to name a few. Now think of yourself as you learn a new skill or try a new experience. Do you feel joy? Do you feel a renewed sense of confidence? In the past, you may have failed. You may have received a bad grade, been let go of a job, lost a big project. In those life experiences, your confidence may have gone down. You may have developed a fear of failure. By creating a new experience that you’ve never had before, you can retrain your brain to trust yourself. That will reframe the fear and turn it into excitement!  
• In times of stress, trying something new can distract you from the stressor. When you engage a different part of your brain, it can help you focus on something different long enough to remove the stress response. The brain likes to be used. So if you are focusing on the stress factor too much, implementing something new can spur a positive response in the brain, shifting you into a healthier state of being.
• Starting on a new project or activity will limit the feeling of boredom. Boredom can have a negative impact on the body. Loneliness, fatigue and anxiousness can all stem from the brain not being used enough. People who are bored may turn to food and unnecessary snacking or drinking to feel better. So by starting on a new project, learning a new skill or having a new experience, you have more to do with that down time. During the recent stay-at-home orders, people felt uneasiness with not being able to do things they normally could do. This resulted in a lot of boredom. That time sparked a tremendous opportunity for people to learn a new skill or take on a new project. 
• New experiences don’t have to be big! This can be as simple as trying a new recipe or tasting a new food you have never tried before. Possibly baking wasn’t something you enjoyed in the past, but now you’d like to learn! Walking around your neighborhood or community or taking a new road is trying something new! If you ever wanted to learn a new language, now is the time! Prefer to stay home? Reading a new book, starting a new puzzle or building something from scratch are other ideas of new things to try.

As you can see, there are a variety of benefits to trying new experiences. Our brain should be used similarly to how we use our body. It will function better if it’s exercised. 

If you have been feeling down, lonely, bored or maybe have signs of brain fog, consider learning a new skill or trying a new task that you’ve always wanted to try. Then see how your body responds! 

Making new memories will create a lasting impression and ultimately help you live a more nourished life. 

Next time in 7 Practical Ways to Nourish Yourself, you’ll learn the benefits of having a strong community. Until then, be well!