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.
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.
Denne historien er fra August 2017-utgaven av The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 2017-utgaven av The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Hitting a nerve
Regulating the vagus nerve with its links to depression, anxiety, arthritis and diabetes - could aid physical and mental wellbeing.
Take me to the river
With a slew of new schedules and excursions to explore, the latest river cruises promise to give you experiences and sights you won’t see on the ocean.
The last act
When family patriarch Tom Edwards passes away, his children must come together to build his coffin in four days, otherwise they will lose their inheritance. Can they put their sibling rivalry aside?
MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN
When Alexei Navalny died in a brutal Arctic prison, Vladimir Putin thought he had triumphed over his most formidable opponent. Until three courageous women - Alexei's mother, wife and daughter - took up his fight for freedom.
The wines and lines mums
Once only associated with glamorous A-listers, cocaine is now prevalent with the soccer-mum set - as likely to be imbibed at a school fundraiser as a nightclub. The Weekly looks inside this illegal, addictive, rising trend.
Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?
Indigenous women are being murdered at frightening rates, their deaths often left uninvestigated and widely unreported. Here The Weekly meets families who are battling grief and desperate for solutions.
Growing happiness
Through drought flood and heartbreak, Jenny Jennr's sunflowers bloom with hope, sunshine and joy
"Thank God we make each other laugh"
A shared sense of humour has seen Aussie comedy couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall conquer the world. But what does life look like when the cameras go down:
Winter baking with apples and pears
Celebrate the season of Australian apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the midwinter blues away.
Budget dinner winners
Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of low-cost recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.
