What is Neophilia?

Neophilia is “A fondness for, or obsession with, novelty and change…”

But wait. Health and wellness gurus are always telling us how important it is to create routines, so that whatever it is becomes enough of a habit that we actually do it.

• Drink 8 Glasses of Water/Day
• Workout 150 Minutes/Week
• Wake-up/Get-Up Same Time Every Day
• Call Your Mother Every Sunday

Researchers, on the other hand, are telling us that neophilia, or loving novelty, can be powerfully effective for motivation, memory, learning, aging… you name it. So, we should make doing new things every day a habit then too, right?

The problem is that whatever it is we are doing over and over again gets boring. Maybe it wasn’t boring when you first started the new ‘good for you’ thing, but science says the brain gets bored with same ole, same ole, pretty much whatever it is. Back in the day, when the modern human brain was forming, that’s how evolution made sure we got out there looking for new opportunities, in parts unknown.

But boredom, left to its own devices, is a problem, as I have written before, on June 21, 2020 to be exact—at which time pandemic boredom was rampant.

Things are lifting, little by little. And yet, for many there is something lingering, which makes me wonder if boredom itself has become a habit and/or things are just not lifting quickly enough.

Here is a good article on one woman’s experience with lingering boredom in 2022—and the guilt she feels because, really, contrasted with so many others here at home and around the world, her life is just fine.

I would also like to share my own piece on this subject from 2020, and then tell you what one thing I did today to increase my own Neophilia, as only one example, for whatever it’s worth. Here it is below in italics.

About Dopamine

Boredom is a state of suffering that is rampant right now. If there is not a lot going on, your dopamine can be low and, if your dopamine is low, you are bored.

Unfortunately, not enough people know that boredom is about chemicals in the brain. So they look outside of themselves for someone or something to blame for the blahs: the husband, the wife, the job…as in, I’m bored with my car, time for a new one.

The decision alone, with the expectation of reward, can give a dopamine rush that feels mighty good. Not for long, though, because once the newness wears off, the thrill wears off, and the brain is back to meh. And what did that little fix cost? Sometimes a lot.

Truth is that, if nothing in you has changed, there is a good chance you will wind up in a new place that feels to you just like the old. This is why it is a very good idea to have some relatively safe ways to hack your brain chemicals, so you don’t risk messing up your whole life.

 Hacking Your Chemistry

Click here for an article with 217 ‘good habit’ ideas to knock out your boredom; including adult coloring books, learning to play a musical instrument, watching cat videos… Really, 217 of them.

On the other hand, people I am coaching are juicing themselves up with visions of a future that is more exciting and fulfilling than their real lives were before the Great 2020 Pause. They are cherry picking what they love about their dreams, and taking real steps to bring whatever that is into real life.

One applied to a coveted MBA program that starts in the fall. She’s pretty sure she will get in, and the thought of learning so much new has her beaming all over. Another already enrolled in a program that will certify him as business and community development coach, to fulfill his long-held dream of giving back in this way.

Others have applied for new jobs. And gotten offers too. But, before they pack their bags, they are taking a good hard look at how much of what they value, how much of who they are, how much of what they want—really does exist in the new opportunity, and how much can be negotiated into right where they are.

Then they will have an eyes wide open, real comparison to make among alternatives, in selecting the environment that suits them best.

Wake-Up Call

I guess we could say that boredom is a wake-up call that invites all kinds of possibility for the enrichment of our lives. We just need to be careful not to let the pain of boredom make us squander the opportunity on a too easy and unsustainable fix.

Okay, so here is what I did right before I wrote this to you: I bought a very snazzy and sturdy backpack, so I can take Rafael Leonardo out and about with me on my bike, to new places around town where we have never been before.

Studies find that dogs like novelty too, and it’s not like he can get on the internet and plan himself a trip to Italy because he’s never seen the Amalfi Coast.

And you? How about expressing a little more neophilia in your life. Yes, we know that there’s a connection between human novelty seeking and addiction, but you can keep an eye on that.

So, one thing. Today. Everyday. A New Thing? Big or Small. And let us know what you find.

Warm wishes,

Madelaine

Photo by Pexels Oleg Magni