Living on autopilot? Here's how to feel alive again!

Have you ever noticed how sometimes it can feel like your daily routine has lost its flavour? Not in a dramatic, earth-shaking way, but in small, almost imperceptible doses—like how your favourite song doesn’t hit the same after the hundredth play or how the city skyline, once breathtaking, now barely registers. It creeps in subtly, this dulling of the senses, like a dimmer switch you never meant to touch. One day you’re savouring the crisp tang of an apple or the warmth of a morning hug; the next, you’re simply going through the motions, unaware of how mundane life has become. It’s not unhappiness exactly—it’s more like forgetting what exhilaration feels like.

 

Here's how you can add more zest to your days:

Turn errands into explorations

Finding joy doesn’t always require grand gestures or intricate plans—it can start with something as simple as your next grocery run. Instead of just ordering your groceries online, head to your favourite supermarket (we know you have one!) If it's close by, you can even take a walk. Allow yourself to truly absorb the details of your surroundings—the vivid billboards, the hum of life on the pavement, the quiet rustle of greenery. Once you’re at the market, resist the urge to rush. Take your time, meandering through the aisles with intention. Dare to pick up that vegetable you’ve never noticed before, pick up a snack you've never tried before, and let the aisles intrigue you.

“Our daily routines often become stale and monotonous when we approach them on autopilot. But by shifting your perspective—embracing small, mindful changes in your approach to the ordinary—you can infuse each task with a sense of wonder and curiosity, ultimately breaking free from the endless cycle of repetition,” explains Sneh Nigam, founder of mental health startup Mindcafe India.

Transform everyday tasks into a game

Infusing everyday routines with a playful spirit can turn even the most mundane chores into engaging challenges. By reimagining tasks as games, you can introduce elements of excitement, creativity, and mindfulness into your daily life.

Take cleaning, for example. Imagine treating different household chores as “levels” in a video game. Set a timer for each—say, 10 minutes to tackle the sink or 15 minutes to tidy up your room—and race to “defeat” the clock.

“The time constraint creates urgency and focus, much like a video game challenge,” explains Nigam. “Short bursts of effort also align with the Pomodoro Technique, enhancing productivity and making the process feel less daunting.”

Another simple yet delightful idea is the “colour walk.” Before stepping outside, choose a colour—perhaps blue—and count how many objects in that shade you can spot during your stroll. It’s a creative way to ground yourself in the present, especially during moments of stress or anxiety.

For a twist on grocery shopping, turn checkout into a mental math challenge. Before paying, estimate your total bill based on the items in your cart. If your guess is within a set range, you’ve “won” the round and can reward yourself accordingly.

“This exercise not only sharpens problem-solving and mental math skills but also adds a layer of anticipation to a routine errand,” says Nigam. “The promise of a reward makes the process more enjoyable and engaging.”

Lose yourself in a local spot

No matter how unassuming, every city holds a hidden corner that beckons the curious wanderer. It could be a sun-dappled park, a dusty bookshop brimming with stories, or a quiet backstreet where uneven cobblestones whisper of forgotten histories. Leave your itinerary behind and let yourself get lost.

“Engage with the world around you. Strike up a conversation with the vendor who greets every passerby, the neighbour you’ve never exchanged more than a nod with or the stranger whose presence intrigues you but has always been at a distance. Listen to their stories—mundane or extraordinary. Hear their perspectives on the world, their takes on the issues that shape your shared existence,” says Nigam.

This simple act of connection does more than distract you from the monotony of your inner dialogue. It broadens your understanding of your surroundings, offering you a fresh lens through which to see your city—and perhaps yourself.

Find beauty in boredom

In a world that moves at breakneck speed, we've grown uncomfortably allergic to idle moments. The thought of doing nothing is so foreign that we instinctively fill every pause with the flicker of a screen or the hum of productivity. But what if boredom, that overlooked space between tasks, holds untapped gifts?

The next time you’re waiting in line or stuck in traffic, resist the urge to reach for your phone. Instead, let your eyes wander. Take in the interplay of shadows on nearby buildings, or study the subtle expressions on the faces of strangers. Boredom isn’t a void; it’s a quiet invitation for the mind to meander, to make surprising connections, to create without the pressure of purpose.

“The phrase ‘What are you doing?’ has become so overrun with the expectation of constant activity that people feel guilty for simply existing in stillness,” says Nigam. “I suggest that once your work—whether at the office or at home—is done, take a moment to sit quietly. Look up at your ceiling, and just be. No to-do lists, no distractions. Our brains need that unstructured time to process the flood of information they absorb each day. It’s in those pauses that we find calm, clarity, and a sense of composure lost in the grind of daily life.”

 

Celebrate with no reason at all

For too long, we’ve tethered celebrations to milestones—birthdays, promotions, anniversaries, and other hallmark moments. But what if we redefined celebration? What if we untethered it from expectation and infused joy into the mundane?

“There’s no rulebook that says celebration needs a reason,” says Nigam. “Buy yourself a cupcake on an ordinary Wednesday, slip into your favourite jacket just to grab milk from the store, or uncork that cherished bottle of wine simply because you can.”

The beauty lies in breaking the mould, in seeing life through a lens unclouded by societal conventions. It’s about relishing the now—finding joy in fleeting moments, and rewriting the script on what deserves applause.

So go ahead: light candles for a solo dinner, put on red lipstick for a grocery run, or dance in your kitchen just because your favourite song came on. Celebration, after all, is an everyday art form waiting to be mastered.

Lead image: Pexels

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