Change Your Life by Changing Your Environment

How a Fresh New Perspective Can Lead You to Success

Have you ever felt stuck in a rut? Or perhaps you feel as though you lack clarity, direction or purpose? It may even seem that life or work has become staid and you either find yourself living a monotonous day-to-day pattern, or perhaps you’ve become bored or stuck with the status quo and need to feel inspired again?
 
It’s no secret that at one time or another we all go through this, including me!
 
So how could a change in environment be the key leading you to feel revitalised again and living a successful happy life?
 
1. Creating a complimentary work/life balance.
 
Separating life and work can sometimes feel impossible in a rushed world. So why not try to occasionally merge the two? For example, try taking your work to a relaxing location such as a spa, a garden, a park or even an art gallery or a warm cafe? You may even like to escape for a pampering ‘working weekend’ to somewhere where you’ll feel nourished and inspired. It’s also important to ask yourself if you need to escape for a work/life balance or if you’re burnt out and simply need to stop and rejuvenate?
 
2. Break up your holidays.
 
Break up your holidays into weekly vacations. Every year thousands of people book 2-3 weeks off for holiday. However, why not consider breaking up your holidays into weekly mini breaks across the year? This way you’ll feel less burnt out, increasingly rejuvenated and you’ll be able to return to work or home life without feeling those post holiday blues.
 
3. Schedule white space into your diary
 
If it isn’t easy to take holiday or you’re snowed under with work it’s imperative to schedule at least six 10-minute white ‘me time’ slots throughout your day. If you feel guilty or you find it difficult to set your own time boundaries, consider these white slots as imperative ‘business meetings’ with yourself. After all, how productive are you going to be if you work yourself into the ground? A great analogy for this is to think that you wouldn’t run your car on an empty tank so why would you do the same to yourself? Try meditating, going for a walk, taking a few deep breaths in a calm space, listening to a refreshing and inspiring music playlist or having a long warm bath/shower.

Four friends sitting at table waiting for young woman to bring food and drink. (Getty Images)

4. A birds-eye view gives you perspective
 
It’s easy to become so focused on your daily personal or work life and to become anxious, frustrated or even lose perspective of your goals and what you’re working towards. When this happens, we forget there’s a bigger picture and a world of possibilities beyond our comfort zones. I always find watching short zoom in and out clips of Google Earth helps my clients to mentalise, visualise and to feel that no matter what they’re experiencing and how big or small it may seem, it may only be a part of the jig-saw and it does not define them or their lives. Ask yourself how significant is this in the grand scheme of things?
 
5. Day-Dream!
 
Of course, it’s always a balance between work and play. Yet, whilst daydreaming or even occasionally relaxing and doing nothing may be considered lazy and unproductive, sometimes nothing could be further from the truth! These experiences allow us to refuel, to allow our conscious and unconscious creative juices to flow and to inspire fresh new perspectives.
 
6. New Opportunities
 
A change in environment doesn’t just lend itself to wellbeing and perspective, but can also lead to new opportunities, relationships and contacts. You never know who you’re going meet at that new cafe, networking or social event, or even who may be walking around the corner along that new path you’ve not walked. It also connects you to the different parts of yourself, your goals and broadens your experiences.