Seize The Day

Our busy, modern-day lifestyle has robbed us of the joy of spontaneity. Melissa Field finds out why embracing the unplanned will feed your soul.

- Melissa Field

Can you recall the last time you did something completely spontaneously? For most of us, our days, weeks and months are scheduled to the nth degree, leaving little or no time to simply do something – anything – just because.

“We’ve become addicted to busy-ness,” says clinical psychologist Danielle Maloney. “Busyness is almost directly attached to self-esteem. We live in a society that implicitly values this type of lifestyle and our self-worth has become contingent on whether or not we meet expectations.”

The fact that hyper-organisation has become our default setting has robbed us of the joy of spontaneity. Carpe diem feels like a luxury at best, or an impossibility in reality. But for the sake of our physical and emotional wellbeing, it’s worth learning to reconnect with the impromptu.

“As a society we don’t value novelty and spontaneity but I’d argue that they’re core emotional needs,” says wellbeing author and mindfulness coach Alison Nancye. “Abiding by ‘should’ all the time becomes increasingly mundane and dull, whereas spontaneity – whether it’s something life-changing or simply something fun – feeds the soul.”

There are physical and emotional benefits to spontaneity. “Being held hostage to ‘must’ can lead to burnout and increased stress. It can even lead to anxiety and depression,” says Danielle.