Your weekly dose of mental sunshine...

Hi

Do you sometimes get in a rut with your thinking?

This week I want to talk to you about casting your net a bit wider when looking for ideas and inspiration.

It’s really easy to get caught up in a sort of vacuum, where we look to people in the same industry or area as us for inspiration -

This can however end up becoming something of an echo chamber, where everyone is doing a slightly different version of the same thing.

Your search for inspiration can become blighted by a sort of tunnel vision, where you’re looking at a really narrow area for ideas.

This is true not only in a work setting but also with leisure time.

It’s easy to look at the few people we’re closest to, and use their activities and pastimes as inspiration and influence for our own.

The algorithms on social media are built upon this - they keep serving us up more of the same, until we’re easily convinced that everyone in the world is of the same opinion as us, likes the same things as us, even eats the same foods as us.

What happens though, if you expand the net a little wider?

What happens if you switch from tunnel vision to funnel vision?

Taking a wider perspective on the world around us can mean we pay attention to, and are influenced by things that had previously passed us by.

Experiment with exposing yourself to different people, different ideas, different approaches and perspectives.

If you always buy a particular publication try reading one from the opposite side of the fence.

Pick up something completely different to your normal.

For example, if you usually read beauty magazines - pick up one on car mechanics

If you usually read about computers, pick up something on sailing

The switches are endless and you may be really surprised by things you learn and are able to adapt them to your area of expertise.

Search out accounts on social media that show different viewpoints and ideas.

After all, they do say that variety is the spice of life!

Look outside of your normal and see things differently

It’s so easy to get stuck with tunnel vision - whether on a micro level or a macro level.

Broadening our horizons can help us to experience new things and to see the world from different perspectives - both of which are good for our mental wellbeing!

One thing I love about our a photo a day for wellness Facebook group is that we have people from all over the world, from all sorts of different backgrounds and industries posting images of what they like and enjoy.

We all post photos of moments in our lives, and get a peek into what life is like for others.

A great way to feel more connected to the world around us and to learn from others outside our normal networks!

Catch up on previous weekly doses of mental sunshine here

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