Fire Up: The 7 Best Ways to Get Inspired

From boredom to burnout, having a case of the blahs is a common human experience. We can all get lost in the daily grind, get bogged down by stress, caught up in the routine.

Then one day there’s the realization that it’s time to step off the hamster wheel and jumpstart the joys of living.

Here are seven surefire rut-busters to help bring those joys and inspiration back into your life.

Go outside and enjoy nature. Connecting with nature offers incomparable restorative benefits. No matter the season, get outside and take a walk. Walk in the woods, through a park or around the block. Make it a point to sit and watch the sunrise or the sunset at least once a week. Water also provides soul-soothing benefits to inspire you. Enjoy quiet reflective time by a brook, river, pond, even a city water fountain. Breathe in. Breathe out. Ahhh!

Experience the arts and entertainment. The arts enrich our lives and are essential to the human spirit. Take in a live performance…any live performance. An elementary school play, a professional opera, the musician on the street corner. Play music in your home and dance in your living room, or plug in earbuds and just listen. Frequently lose yourself in a book or a movie. Visit a museum and immerse yourself in art appreciation. Experiencing creativity up close and firsthand can emotionally engage your heart and mind.

Practice selfless acts of kindness. Get involved in a worthwhile project that’s much bigger than yourself. Find a good cause and support it by volunteering regularly. Cut your hair to raise funds for cancer research or participate in a walk for your local humane society. Check on your elderly neighbor. Take the focus off yourself and do something nice for someone else.

Attempt something outside your comfort zone. Do something you never thought you would do. It could be as daunting as climbing a rock wall, taking a hot-air balloon ride, earning a motorcycle license. Or as easy as eating a new food you can’t pronounce. Try this: Go out to dinner with a friend or loved one. Order for one another without divulging your selections so that your respective meals will be complete surprises.

Observe children at play. You’ll see uninhibited joy, an unbridled excitement of discovery, and boundless energy. They live in the moment driven by curiosity and enthusiasm. Tap into your inner child. Look at everyday things as if seeing them for the first time. Express your thoughts out loud. Let yourself dream. Give in to playfulness.

Tickle your funny bone. Laughter is a powerful antidote for monotony and stress. Humor not only makes life more enjoyable, it also ignites our creativity. Make time for fun and be more spontaneous.

Learn a new skill. One of the fastest ways to get inspired is to gain new knowledge. Take an auto-repair class or master a foreign language. Try cooking a really challenging recipe. Learn how to dance, sail, or sew. In the process, you may discover talents you never knew you had—how inspiring!