493: Underrated ways to reduce anxiety & boost mood | leading happiness scholar Gretchen Rubin
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Episode Highlights
Mindfulness
Mindfulness doesn't require extensive training or resources, according to . She suggests that by simply paying attention to our surroundings, we can cultivate mindfulness in a more approachable way. This involves engaging with our environment through our senses, which is something we already do daily without realizing it 1. Rubin shares her personal experiment of visiting the Metropolitan Museum daily, highlighting how repetition can change our experience and awareness 2.
It's not that it's not important to cultivate mindfulness, but sometimes I think that can feel like sort of a serious, perhaps onerous discipline where there's a way to be more mindful just by just tapping into your environment.
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This approach makes mindfulness feel less like a chore and more like an integration into everyday life.
Boredom
Embracing boredom can unlock creativity and lead to profound insights, as explains. She describes how allowing the mind to wander without distractions can lead to significant realizations, such as her insight that beauty often requires a touch of ugliness 3. Rubin emphasizes that boredom provides the mental space needed for new ideas to emerge, similar to how people often have breakthroughs in the shower or during other quiet moments 4.
Often it's when I was bored, then I would have, like, a big insight, you know, because your brain is, like, open and like, trying to entertain itself.
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This highlights the importance of creating downtime for the brain to explore and innovate.
Routine Change
Breaking routines can enhance mindfulness and awareness, according to . She suggests that even small changes, like taking a different route to work, can refresh our perspective and make the mundane feel new again 5. Rubin argues that these changes don't have to be drastic; sometimes, simply altering our mindset or paying more attention to our surroundings can have a significant impact 6.
If you usually go for a walk one way with your dog, do it the opposite way. It bonkers how hard that is.
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This approach encourages finding joy and awareness in everyday life without needing to make major life changes.