Don’t Let Your Health Routine Become Routine; Kill the Boredom

By Martha Michael

If your morning always begins with a neighborhood jog followed by a hearty breakfast, and your day ends with yoga and a bubble bath, it sounds lovely. But it may become monotonous if you never change it up.

Most of us know what it’s like to become tired of the same old routine, such as a daily cardio workout, balanced diet, and mindfulness meditation. But some people take a cue from National Anti-Boredom Month in July and get out of the rut they’re in.

A website called WhateverItTakesMotivation.com has some ideas for new practices when you start to feel like life is a little dull:

• Read a good book - It broadens your vocabulary, increases concentration and gives you a new perspective.
• Go to the gym - There is no dispute that exercise benefits you, both body and mind
• Find a passion - Do something you love, whether it’s a career or a pastime
• Learn something new - Take a class or become a fan of podcasts
• Meditate 15 minutes daily - Better focus and relaxation are just two of the life-changing features of meditation

Entrepreneur James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, suggests that the best way to beat boredom is to “fall in love with it.” He asserts that it’s impossible to grow fond of an activity you hate. So, if you’ve been dutifully going to the gym but really don’t like it, there are a couple of avenues to potentially change that perspective and help you to embrace it.

First, you can work on your proficiency. If you’re making improvements and celebrating gains, you can breathe new life into a health practice. Learning how to do a deadlift or making progress in your boot camp participation may be stimulating enough to keep you interested.

Another idea is to fall in love with the results. For instance, putting all your focus into an intensive workout routine may become monotonous, but experiencing the pleasure of weight loss can be emotionally reinforcing. Clear also refers to a “Seinfeld” effect, suggesting that your commitment to simply keeping a streak alive, or successfully sticking to a practice, can be motivating.

Spearhead Something New

National Anti-Boredom Month is a reminder to look at what you’re doing and make necessary changes, which can involve any aspect of your life. You can learn a new language, take a trip to a place you’ve never been, or swap kitchen duties with your significant other.

But if you’re committed to a healthier lifestyle, you need to be deliberate. The Health Alliance website has an article with National Anti-Boredom Month activities, beginning with a suggestion to take up a new sport. Some of the roads less traveled are karaoke yoga, indoor rock climbing or dog sledding, but if you prefer life as a spectator you can do sit-ups during commercial breaks on TV or stoke a secret desire by constructing a “dream and goal board.”

Summertime is when kids complain about boredom, so consider engaging them in family-friendly activities. Make an indoor fort or an outdoor campsite. Teach them to cook or plant a garden.

For long-range improvements, load up your kids and make weekly visits to the chiropractor. Whatever a person’s age, the ever-changing body is one thing that never becomes static or dull. Because the brainstem and spinal cord are constantly adapting to the environment, there’s always room for evaluation.

Regular visits to the chiropractor enable you to continually monitor the dynamics of your nervous system. Your brain generates output affecting every cell in your body, according to health and performance company InnerFight.com. It stands to reason that if your brain gets the same unhealthy input repeatedly, such as poor posture or negative thought patterns, your rut gets deeper and wider.

But by varying your training and using CrossFit, for instance, it creates “constant variation of sensory-motor input into the brain,” the article says. “The goal is to effectively change that cycle of degeneration to one of regeneration, and that is when true health starts.”

The variety in your workout makes your brain more adaptable to various circumstances and it’s always preferable to choose fitness that you find engaging and stimulating because it makes you less likely to abandon your goals.

Effective output from the brain causes muscle growth and improves the regulatory mechanisms in your body, including:

• Heart rate
• Digestion
• Breathing
• Immune function

German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said, “The two enemies of human happiness are pain and boredom.” It just so happens they’re the enemies of chiropractic care too.

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this page are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this post is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics, including but not limited to the benefits of chiropractic care, exercise and nutrition. It is not intended to provide or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your chiropractor, physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this page.