16 - How to be spontaneous and grab some unexpected fun
I'm an ultra-scheduler. My calendar dictates each day, each week. Prior to the pandemic, I was already scheduling many aspects of my life in order to achieve goals and regularly catch up with friends.
There was room for spontaneity...but I have difficulty figuring out how to fit that into my schedule.
While we often think anticipation is half the fun, in 2016 researchers from two US universities found that people enjoyed activities more when they were impromptu. Scheduling a coffee break or a movie, for instance, made them feel “less free-flowing and more work-like”, wrote the authors.
The pandemic certainly hasn't made this easier. The tips on taking breaks and going for walks remind me of pomodoro benefits, but there I am again: I'm taking the breaks to be more efficient!
My extraverted friends are excellent at dropping in at random times with calls or messages, sometimes at just the right time when I could use a chat.
Do you struggle with spontaneity? If so, how have you made room for it in your life?
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