8 simple changes to make when you’ve stopped growing as a person

Haven’t we all been there where we feel like we’re stuck in a rut?

Not growing or changing, just doing the same thing day-in-day-out and never experiencing any new thoughts, emotions, or experiences?

According to experts, it’s perfectly normal to feel like this at least once in your life.

And making a change to get yourself out of a rut can feel like a massive undertaking. Especially if you feel pretty content with where your life is at right now.

But there’s no need to make dramatic changes to continue to grow your mindset.

Sometimes, the smaller things make a big difference to how you think, feel, and view the world than anything major.

So ditch the idea that you have to change your career, move home, or break up with your partner to continue growing in life.

And instead, try some of these 8 simple changes to make you feel like you’re working on yourself again!

1) Walk a new route to/from work

If you feel uninspired by life, try doing the same thing you always do, but do it completely differently.

One thing I always used to do when I felt like I was living Groundhog Day was to walk a different route to or from work.

It’s such a simple and easy change to make, since it usually only requires slightly more time and a little bit of thinking.

But it stops your commute from being mindless – and makes it more mindful.

And there’s a very good reason for this.

When you do something new, it makes you more psychologically flexible. This, in turn, makes you more likely to spot new opportunities, which increases your creativity and your ability to innovate.

It also tricks your brain into thinking you’re less predictable and more spontaneous, which makes you feel less stressed or anxious in response to change.

So the next time you’re slightly early for work or don’t have any evening plans, take a different route home and see how it makes you feel.

2) Set new goals for yourself

It’s always good to work toward something in life.

As Flynn Rider says in Disney’s “Tangled”, the good part about reaching your dream is that you get to find a new dream.

And it couldn’t be more true. If you feel like you’ve achieved everything you’ve ever wanted in life, take some time to congratulate yourself for it, and try to come up with some new goals.

According to experts, it’s good to have goals in life, even if they’re small. It gives you a better long-term vision and short-term motivation.

It could be as small as giving one more compliment to a loved one per day. Or waking up 10 minutes earlier.

Or committing to do something fun that you’ll enjoy at least once a month. Like trying a new restaurant in your city or going for a morning hike.

Whatever it is, try setting yourself one or a handful of new goals if you feel like you aren’t progressing in life.

It’ll give you something new to work towards and focus on.

3) Make new friends

Meeting new people is a great way to expose yourself to new mindsets and gain a fresh perspective on things.

As lovely as it is to have friends you’ve known since kindergarten, interacting with the same people all the time can make you narrow-minded and stuck in your ways.

When you make new friends, you gain ideas on new hobbies to take up, skills to cultivate, and things to experience.

Studies have even found that people who meet new people regularly have better cognitive skills and performance at work and school.

So if you’re feeling like you’re in a bit of a rut, get out there and meet some new people.

You may be surprised at what you’ll learn about yourself and your aspirations!

4) Start reading something new

Reading is one of the best things you can do to keep developing your brain.

According to research, it improves your memory and cognitive function. It also reduces stress, helps you relax, and improves your sleep quality.

Alongside these physical benefits, it also opens your mind to new ideas, experiences, and perspectives on life.

If you’re already an avid reader, try mixing up the genre a little. Like if you usually read crime or romance novels, give sci-fi or fantasy a try.

Or try something non-fiction, like a self-development book (one on how to keep growing mentally – perhaps!).

5) Enjoy some alone time

Spending time alone on occasion is something we should all prioritize in life.

When you spend time alone, you create space for self-reflection and self-discovery. You get the chance to fully relax and become the truest version of yourself.

As social creatures, being alone for long periods isn’t good for our mental health.

But a little bit of solitude now and then can make you more creative, productive, empathetic, and mentally strong (as new research says).

I know that, for me, I did the most growing when I split from my first long-term relationship and spent a ton of time alone for six months.

It created so much space in my mind for new thoughts, ideas, and plans – and made me the person I am today.

So if you’re feeling a little stagnant in life, take some time to be by yourself for a while. You’ll be surprised at what new thoughts you’ll discover in yourself!

6) Forgive people in your past

Holding onto anger and resentment for people in your past hurts one person and one person only: yourself.

But letting go of the bitterness by forgiving someone for the pain they caused frees you of their control.

Forgiving someone doesn’t mean forgetting what they did or making excuses for the harm they caused.

But it lets you see things from a different perspective and truly let go of any pain you’re holding onto (even if you don’t realize you’re holding onto it).

So make a little list of people you haven’t perhaps forgiven or whose memory plagues you and brings you down whenever you remember them.

And forgive them.

Say it out loud. Write it down. Or just think it over and over. Do whatever you need to do to let go of the pain and truly move on.

You may not feel better instantly, but over time, it can trigger more personal growth and start healing you of the ghosts of your past.

7) Reduce your screen time

Social media, Netflix, news channels, and other online information sources can either benefit or betray you – depending on how you use it.

When you feel a bit stuck in life, your screen time could quite easily be the problem.

Constantly filling your brain with the thoughts, experiences, and perspectives of other people can (perhaps unsurprisingly) do you more harm than good.

It can make you feel less adequate than you are and can lead you to stop thinking for yourself.

If you don’t feel like you’re growing mentally anymore, try putting down your phone and turning off the TV.

Go outside and breathe the fresh air deeply. Take a walk (or a jog) and leave your phone at home or in your bag on Do Not Disturb.

Spend a little bit of time switched off from everything and see where your mind goes.

You may find it helps you switch off properly, reflect, and gain a new perspective on where you want to go in life.

8) Enjoy the person you’ve become

If you’re feeling like you’ve stopped growing, maybe you just need to take some time to reflect on how far you’ve already come.

Even though you may not realize it, you’ve probably changed significantly over the last few years, months, or even weeks from where you used to be.

So take some time to look back and journal on how much you’ve changed.

Think about the ways you used to respond to things and how much you’ve grown since then. Or of all the new things you’ve done and how much things have changed.

Make a little list of things like:

• Your achievements over the last few months/years
• Things that have changed in your life
• People you’ve let go/new people you’ve welcomed into your life

Chances are, you’ll probably realize that you’ve grown a lot more than you think you have!

Final thoughts

Sometimes, when you feel like you’ve stopped growing, all you need to do is take a look at where you are and where you were to realize that you’ve been growing all along.

Other times, all it takes is a few small changes to your everyday habits to feel like you’re on the right path in life again.

Whichever it is, making a few small, simple changes to your daily life can make you feel so much better about where you’re at and where you’re headed!