Seek Novelty

Time feels as though it’s moving faster than ever.

Since the pandemic, the days and weeks seem to slip by unnaturally quickly. One major difference between life now and life then is the amount of time we spend on our phones, living in a digital space created by others and curated by ourselves. The world behind the screen is addictive. It offers instant access to anything we desire, at any time. That’s a hard thing to resist, especially when everyday life feels dull or lacking in the things we’re searching for and chasing after.

Many of us now exist in a state where reality on its own doesn’t feel like enough. We’ve built virtual spaces to escape to, and while these spaces can offer connection, entertainment, and even opportunity, they also rob us of something vital. Hours disappear when we’re plugged into the online world. The body remains still, stagnant. The mind drifts elsewhere. We lose touch with the present moment, the reality of being here, alive. Over time, the hours accumulate, turning into days, months, and years spent somewhere else entirely. That thought alone is uncomfortable, but it’s also one we can’t continue to avoid.

The internet is an integral part of modern life, and that won’t change. It’s embedded in how we work, how we connect, how we learn. But we have to find balance. We need ways to anchor ourselves in the present, to pull ourselves back into the physical world. Seeking novelty is one way to do that.

Novelty is a reminder that life is unfolding here and now. It’s about experiencing something for the first time, whether it’s big or small. It’s about breaking out of the familiar and giving yourself the chance to see things differently. The benefits of novelty are immense, and they touch every aspect of your life. Seeking novelty allows you to slow down time. It creates change, helping you shift out of old patterns and into new ways of thinking. It stimulates your brain, growing new neurons and making it easier to adapt to challenges.

It builds confidence, showing you what you’re capable of when you try something new. Novelty enhances creativity, inspiring fresh ideas and perspectives. It strengthens resilience, helping you recover from setbacks with a newfound sense of possibility. It connects you to others, opening the door to new relationships and opportunities. It creates core memories—the kind that stay vivid for years because they felt meaningful. It fosters new perspectives, helping you see the world in ways you couldn’t before. Most importantly, it reconnects you to life, pulling you out of stagnation and making you feel truly alive.

New experiences remind you that you’re here, present in the moment, engaged in a way the digital world can never replicate. They release healthy dopamine, giving you a natural high that makes life itself addictive. When you’re actively living your life instead of escaping from it, you’ll feel a deeper sense of purpose and satisfaction. It might even change how you approach the online world. Instead of being stuck in a loop of consuming, you’ll feel inspired to create something meaningful for yourself or for others.

It doesn’t take much to begin. Novelty doesn’t require abandoning your routine or overhauling your life. It’s about small, deliberate acts that make the familiar feel fresh again. You might try exploring a new neighbourhood or park, cooking a dish you’ve never made before, or even taking a different route to work. It could mean learning a new skill, revisiting a hobby you’ve abandoned, or watching a film outside of your usual genre. Novelty doesn’t need to be grand to be impactful.

The internet is an incredible tool, but it was never meant to replace real experiences. Life offline is what roots us, grounds us, and gives us something meaningful to carry back into our digital spaces. Without balance, we risk losing the richness of reality, trading it for hours that blur into nothingness.

Seeking novelty isn’t just about finding entertainment. It’s about staying connected to the present moment, creating something worth remembering, and living a life that feels fully your own.