10 Things To Do When You Need A Change Of Scene But Can’t Actually Go Anywhere

When you’re just not feeling your day-to-day routine, but realistically can’t get away, it can leave you feeling uninspired. The good news is you don’t need to move cross-country to feel renewed.

1. Rearrange your furniture.

This may sound a bit feng shui, but if you’re in the mood for change, and sick of waking up to your usual apartment, moving around your furniture might be refreshing.

2. Paint a wall.

Channel your inner artist, and give your white walls some color. Even if you rent, and want your security deposit back, you can always paint back over it. If your walls could talk they’d say, “paint me,” so go for it!

3. Take a weekend road trip.

We all have commitments whether it’s work, school, or family, but most of us have some free time on the weekends. Get in a car, or get on pub-trans and leave! Go explore something that you don’t wake up to everyday.

4. Meet someone new.

Strike up conversation with a complete stranger. It might lead to something interesting! They may have plenty of stories to tell that could fuel your inspiration. You don’t have to make new best friends, but being friendly never hurts.

5. Read a travel book.

You might not physically be able to escape your daily life, but you can certainly read about someone else doing so. Reading about travel will give you travel envy, but hopefully that will motivate you to make your travel dreams reality.

6. Redecorate.

Similar to rearranging furniture, adding some new decorations to your living or working space can refresh your mind. This doesn’t mean you have to empty your wallet at Pier 1 Imports. Try your hand at some DIY projects you find on Pinterest. If you succeed you can share it on social media with all of your friends, “Look what I made!” If you fail miserably you can still share it on social media with all of your friends, “Look what I tried to make, but didn’t!”

7. Eat/drink somewhere you’ve never been.

It’s great when you have a go-to bar or restaurant where you know you can order your favorites, but think of all the undiscovered places that could potentially become your new favorite! You’ll never know until you try, so next weekend when you’re thinking about going to that same old bar, don’t and try somewhere else.

8. Cook something exotic.

If you want to travel to Thailand, but can’t, cook something you could eat in Thailand instead. Push aside your daily cooking excuses (time, money, culinarily challenged) and master that red curry like you’re on Top Chef. Your kitchen will smell like Thailand, good enough right?

9. Add something new to your daily routine.

Your daily routine feels boring because it happens everyday. If you spice things up once in a while, it will feel less daily, and more spontaneous. Instead of going to the same food cart everyday for lunch, pack a sandwich and walk to a park. Little changes can make your day more interesting.

10. Start a travel fund.

If you really want to get away, but don’t have the financial means to do so, start saving. That dress you bought, but haven’t worn yet, those few extra rounds of drinks at the bar, begin to put that money towards your desired destination. Think about it, one hundred dollars each month is 1,200 dollars by the end of the year. That’ll get you somewhere outside of your own state, or country. It might take a bit of time, but the change of scene will be worth it.