When you're in a rut....Travel!

When was the last time you did something for the first time...?

It's been scientifically proven that getting out of your comfort zone and just doing something new reprograms your neural pathways and sets you up for fresh ideas.

I recently got into a funk; nothing was working out in my life and it seemed like i was on an endless joyless treadmill at work. Work, which had always seemed so interesting and for which i never lacked fresh ideas, now seemed..... bleh.

Even though i didn't admit it, i realise now that i was borderline depressive. I had never been in this situation before and so it was difficult for me to identify the exact issue.

I was in a rut!!!

.....and i found my way out of it. I took a vacation to a totally new place and did exciting things i had never dared to do before. I know it seems counter intuitive, but have you heard the saying, '...spend on experiences and not on things?'. Experiences stay with you for life, even when the material things loose their satisfaction value.

So, i took a trip to group of islands on the Arabian Sea in the Indian Ocean called The Maldives. The Maldives is a collection of over 1000 islands which are composed in groups called Atolls. Located in South Asia, The Maldives is known for its beaches, blue lagoon and reefs. The favourite thing to do for most tourist is island hopping. So you could tour a range of islands, such as Maafushi, Male (capital city), Hulhumale etc by speed boats.

I was looking for new things to do and so i ....

1. Went fishing and caught a fish (surprising, right?)
2. Visited a mosque – For a christian with no ties to islam, visiting the 17th-century Hukuru Miskiy (or the friday mosque) was novel.
3. Learnt to shoot a canon (😜)
4. Went snorkeling (in the Indian Ocean 😳)
5. Tried to jet ski
6. Went swimming with the fishes, turtles, dolphins and other marine lives (really fun -the view under water is spectacular! It’s awesome.)
7. Tried cuisines of different nationalities such as Thai, Chinese, Indian and even a Maldivian breakfast of fish and coconut flakes (made into something similar to a muesli)

So what new things have you tried lately? What are your go to ideas for breaking out of a rut?

Better still, why wait for a rut.....?

After my experience, i have decided to incorporate activities into my life which would help me avoid a rut. One such activity is travel. Travel affords an all in one opportunity for rest, refreshment of mind and spirit, and inspiration.

Consistent travel and sightseeing is truly a rewarding lifestyle experience. For more about possible experiences The Maldives has to offer, click here

It would be great to hear what lifestyle changes you've also incorporated to avoid a rut.