I spent the last ten weeks living and working in Hungary, and this change of pace and environment has been stimulating and creative. My usual daily routine and my working hours have shifted while I have balanced client commitments in Australia with activities in Budapest.
Being out of one’s comfort zone can be unsettling. Navigating a different language, culture, and geography can bring to light unconscious assumptions about oneself and others. The liminal edge, of being present but not belonging, is a powerful but uncomfortable place to be. The power of liminality is often expressed through creativity, intuition, and heightened awareness of one’s relation to the external environment.
New insights arise from seeing one’s world from a different vantage point. This recent change in the rhythm of my day has sparked new ideas and new thinking. It has prompted me to release some old ways and to create new ones.
Varying my routine keeps me alert and creative. These are essential components in keeping ourselves mentally healthy and helping us to live and age well. As live longer, finding new ways to keep ourselves engaged and growing mentally, emotionally and physically is becoming ever more important. Research shows that stimulating our brains to learn and absorb new experiences has many benefits including mitigating some of the risks of cognitive decline.
The good news is that you don’t have to go halfway around the world to have a change. It’s possible to stimulate one’s thinking by reading novels, learning a language, creating a garden. I am incorporating more opportunities to foster creativity in my daily life through being open to the grace of hidden moments of heightened awareness. Building in time to pause and notice the world around me. Taking a different route to work. Taking a 30-minute sabbatical. Taking a walk in the park.
What works for you?
Originally posted on Linkedin.