How Good Are You at Trying New Things?
Fear? Pride? Embarrassment?
What prevents us from trying new things, from venturing into the unknown, the unfamiliar?
“Think about trying something new,” says Dr. Juan Pablo Zapata, as quoted by Katherine Brooks, “as your daily dosage of a vaccine booster for mental health.”
“Doing something new,” maintains Jacqueline Hill in lifehack.org, “sharpens your focus (and) cognitive abilities and increases creativity,” and can also open you up to "new emotions, experiences, and cultures.”
Trying new things "stimulates our minds," say the authors at northridge.org, and “creates new neural pathways.”
Mount Everest?
We’re not talking about climbing Mount Everest or skydiving in Switzerland, though both sound life changing. We’re talking about the positive impact from taking small steps, from leaving our comfort zones, our routine, the familiar.
It can be as simple as trying a new food, hiking a new trail, cooking a new recipe, attending a class, or traveling to a city you’ve never seen before. Learning to paint? Revisiting a childhood hobby? Growing lettuce in a garden? They all qualify.
THE BRAIN'S NOVELTY CENTER
Notes Brooks: “(Zapata) explains that there is a region in our midbrain called the substantia nigra/ventral segmental area, or SN/VTA…. It’s the novelty center of the brain, which responds to new stimuli,” and plays a role in both learning and memory.
Karyn Hall of Psychology Today adds that routine “can be so comforting, but the lack of novelty is limiting to our mental wellness.”
A STUNNING LIST
Introducing Sally, who in 2018 initiated a personal challenge at challengefiftytwo.com to do 52 new things each year. Seven years later, she hasn’t missed a beat – she’s tried 376 new things (I’ve just read ‘em all), and it’s a stunning list.
Some are modest, others outlandish; each is new to her brain. A few of my favorites: played a harp, tried Pranayama (a breathing technique for relaxation), walked an alpaca, took a tufting class, went to work in a tuxedo, and attended a class on laughter yoga!
WHAT STANDS IN THE WAY?
“New adventures involve risk and uncertainty,” notes Julie Rains in wisebread.com, who delineates the standard concerns of feeling incompetent, wasting one’s time, paying too much, and ruining an experience for companions.
While acknowledging that fear is what slows us down (“it’s okay to be scared”), Rain insists that trying new things can be “its own reward.”
Ready to step outside? If so, a few tips:
1. Start small
2. If possible, find an accountability partner
3. Ask yourself these questions, courtesy of Tricia Park from isitrecessyet.com:
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"Have I tried this new thing in the past, and if so, do I believe or assume that it will be useless for me to try it again?
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“Is there a chance I don’t really want to change how I behave or think?
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“Do I secretly hope that I’ll fail at this new thing so I don’t have to change? If so, is this helping me or preventing me from achieving my valued goals?”
Our final word comes from Michelle, a blogger at shelbeeontheedge.com: “I no longer allow fear to keep me from doing the things I want to do.”