For many of us, getting off the hamster wheel is not that easy because very few of us realize why we sometimes feel so drained and miserable. But The Daily Grind is real, and it can take a heavy toll on your personal life, professional life, relationships, and even mental health if you don’t find a way to get out of it while it is still time.
There are ways to get out of the daily grind and gain a new perspective. Here are three of them.
1. Simplify Your Life
While this one might sound a bit cheesy, it works. Adopting a minimalist mindset can work wonders on both your budget and mental health. A decluttered home comes with a decluttered mind. We recommend using best-selling Japanese author Marie Kondo’s approach: If it doesn’t spark joy, it needs to go. It is as simple as that.
Look around you and categorize things into three piles:
· Pile no. 1: Must-haves
· Pile no. 2: Things you are not sure about.
· Pile no.3: Things that need to go.
When your mind has gained enough clarity, you might notice that some of the items you are not sure about are not worth keeping around either. You can either sell, donate, or give to family and friends things in pile three or those in pile two that eventually made it to pile three.
Don’t cling to your personal possessions. Remember, if it doesn’t spark joy, get rid of it. That doesn’t mean that you are not allowed to keep things that you are very fond of, but add them to pile 2 for further review.
While this step is not for everyone, you can motivate yourself by reading everything you can about minimalism and why it is so great for you. Marie Kondo is also a great place to start.
2. Get Rid of Toxicity
A less obvious way of getting out of the daily grind to make room for happiness and peace, is getting rid of toxic people and environments. No real change can take place if you keep yourself surrounded by toxicity. What is a toxic person or place? It is a person or place that drains you out.
A toxic person will bring you down to make themselves feel superior, they whine all the time even when things are working great for them, and you are in a bind. A toxic person doesn’t care about your boundaries, personal space, or opinions. A toxic person can keep you stuck for years if you don’t learn to say no. Try to reduce contact with negative people to a minimum even if they are family or friends and even if it means not answering all their phone calls.
And learn to set boundaries. If a person does not respect your boundaries, that person is not worth keeping around. Where there’s no respect, there cannot be love, as respect is the antechamber of love. You can’t have real love without respect. And respect can grow into love.
3. Change Up Your Routine
The daily grind is about sticking to the same routine day in day out until going old or crazy. And the chief reason so many people stick to the Grind is that they don’t have to get out of their comfort zones. Yet, without a change of pace, there’s no room for growth, creativity, improvement, and new opportunities.
Get out of the daily grind by changing the scenery. If you work out of your home, rent a co-working space or work in a public library at least twice per week. Try to meet new people by visiting new places.
Try new restaurants, new hobbies, or offer a new vibe to old hobbies like video games. For instance, if you love playing video games and are into Game of Thrones, you could unwind with a classic genre that caters to both your passions, like medieval RPGs. While the genre may seem dead, there are plenty of titles to give a try this year.
Conclusion
Escaping the grind cannot be done on autopilot. It requires a conscientious effort, commitment, and perseverance. While decluttering your home or changing the scenery might not seem much, they can work wonders if you keep pushing and don’t give up after the first bump in the road. Life can be beautiful if you manage to understand what is important for you and get rid of the needless excess.