Sometimes we can get into the habit of staying home too often.  We become urban hermits.  We hide in our homes and gradually our lives grow stale.  We need to break this nasty habit!

Reflect for just a moment with me.  When was the last time that you did something outside your normal routine?  Well, it has been too long!

10 ideas to help you break the habit of staying home

Getting out of the habit of staying home takes a little effort at first, but with just a little taste of adventure, you will break free!  Soon you’ll be living and enjoying your life with a full calendar of fun activities.

Here are a few ideas to help you get out of the house:

1.  Buy a new toy

New toys that require us to get out of the house to use them are great catalysts for breaking the habit of staying at home.  I recently bought a Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera. 

Photography is a fantastic hobby that gives me a great reason to get up and go do something away from home.  Of course, buying toys is a privilege you earn by becoming debt-free.

2.  Go for a swim

Plan a trip to your local public pool or lake.  Swimming is a fabulous way to get some exercise and gliding through the water gives you a sense of freedom that will expand your sense of adventure.

3.  Take an adult education class

Enroll in an adult education class at a nearby community college or technical school.  This is a great way to jumpstart a new hobby and to meet interesting people at the same time. 

For example, if you buy a camera as a new toy, then you may want to take a photography course to help you expand your skills.

4.  Camp in the woods overnight

Plan a camping trip to get yourself out of the house and into nature.  There is something about sleeping out-of-doors that enlivens and invigorates my soul.

Camping is an inexpensive way to get yourself out of the house for a few days.  This will surely go a long ways toward helping you to break the habit of staying home!

5.  Take a hike

I love to hike in a scenic area.  The trees, the breeze and a good sneeze will make you feel more alive than you have in months of staying at home.

You can combine hiking with a well-planned camping trip or make it a standalone adventure.  Either way it will get you out of the house and get your blood pumping.

6.  Meet a friend for lunch or dinner

Not quite ready for camping or hiking?  Well, an easy way to get yourself up and moving is to call a friend and schedule a lunch or dinner out.

The conversation often leads to more ideas for how to get up and out of the house.  Your friend might even invite you to go do something afterward.  Be prepared to say yes!

7.  Make a date

After your lunch or dinner out, you may feel bold enough to schedule a date with the opposite sex.  It doesn’t matter if you are single or married.  Ask your spouse or that attractive person at work out for an evening of fun!

One good thing can lead to another and soon you’ll be free of your habit of staying at home, if you make the point to make a date.

8.  Join an interest group

Birds of a feather flock together!  Find a like-minded group of people all with a common interest and start participating.  This is a great motivator to get you out of the house.

For instance, using our photography example, you can join a photography club.  Use Google to find such clubs in your area. 

Another way to find interest groups is to search Meetup.com.  You can find groups of people in your local area interested in just about anything! 

9.  Visit a list of restaurants

Make a list of restaurants that you’ve never been to but always wanted to visit.  You can ask friends for their suggestions.  Who knows?  You might even gain a companion in the process of making up your list!

Once you have 5 or 10 restaurants named, then start working your way through the list as your budget permits.  I love eating out so this is a great way for me to get out of the house.

10.  Take a full-blown vacation

When was the last time that you took off a full week from work and went on a real vacation?  This might be just what the doctor ordered to break your doldrums.

If you need a little inspiration, take a look at my articles on the trips I took to Cozumel and Puerto Vallarta.  These should help you muster some ideas for getting out.

Break free of the habit of staying home!

Admittedly, these are baby steps, but once you learn to put one foot in front of the other you will find yourself free of the habit of staying home.  You might even start to live life to its fullest!  What are you waiting for?  Get up and get started finding your new freedom today!

Are you in the habit of staying home too often?

Photo by SAMAEL TRIP

It seems that many people feel trapped in the life they are leading.  The kicker is that nothing too bad is actually happening.  What I mean is that there are no current crises going on.  No one has cancer or has passed away unexpectedly or has even lost their job. 

It’s just that life has become very boring, predictable and irritating.  Can you relate to this? 

I certainly can.  I’ve struggled with feeling trapped in my life from time-to-time over the years.  It kind of sneaks up on you.  You build a nice, comfortable life and then bam!  You wake up one morning bored out of your gourd.

The good news is that you don’t have to live life this way.  There are options.  You may not see them right now, but we can work on that.

Five ways to make that trapped in my life feeling vanish

No matter how trapped you may feel, I guarantee you that it is not as bad as it seems.  You still have a lot of control and freedom.  You just need to open your eyes and see the possibilities.

Here are some things I do to make the feelings of being trapped vanish.

1.  Imagine what you want your life to be like a year from now

Your life is largely determined by the vision you have for it.  I don’t think there is any hocus pocus in this.  It’s just that nothing can happen in our lives until we first imagine it and then act upon making it come true.  Trust me on this.  Take 30 minutes and write out what you’d like your life to look like a year from now if everything went perfectly your way.  You’ll be amazed at how uplifting this exercise is for you!

2.  Start actively practicing gratitude

You have plenty of things to be thankful for if you just take a few minutes to acknowledge them.  Make a list.  Yes, a list.  Come on, just do it.  Write down at least 25 things that you have to be grateful for.  Twenty-five?!?  Yes, twenty-five.  It will stretch you, but you can do it.  Once you have the list read over it.  See.  You do have a lot to be grateful about.  Also, this is your list of assets that can carry you to that vision you created in Step 1.

3.  Talk to someone about your feelings

Get your feelings out in the open with your spouse, a trusted friend or a counselor.  Oftentimes, just saying it all out loud will help you to see that life isn’t as bad as it seems.  Plus, the encouragement you are likely to receive will be like a vitamin to your soul.  Open up and discuss your feelings of being trapped and it could be the key that unlocks a new sense of optimism for you!

4.  Read or engage in something uplifting

Find some inspiration online, in a book or at an event.  You need positive inputs right now.  Fortunately, there are a ton of options for you to swing your mind to the positive and to help you see all the freedom you have available.  If you are religious, attend your church or synagogue.  This is another great way to lift the fog from your life.  Find a source of inspiration that lifts your thinking and gets you out of that pit.

5.  Make a stand

Decide today that you will no longer follow the path of least resistance in your life.  Decide today to make a stand and improve your life for the better.  Decide today that you will start working to be free!  Being happy and living life to the fullest is a choice.  It is available to you.  However, there is a cost.  Are you willing to do the work and make the choices necessary to have a better life?  I challenge you to make a stand.

Spring open the door and grab hold of all that freedom!

Take one small step today to free yourself and you will see a world of opportunities open up to you.  Be consistent with practicing these strategies and you will accomplish things that will amaze you!  Your mind might resist, but it will change its tune rapidly if you just try my suggestions!

Are you feeling trapped?  What are you going to do about it?

Photo by malias