We are well into our lockdown period here in Victoria, and most of us are missing the luxury of being spontaneous! Being able to just decide to go out for dinner, book a weekend away or go visit a friend out of the blue was so freeing.

Some health benefits of spontaneity include:

1. Keeps your mind sharp. Even just 1 or 2 impulsive activities sprinkled into your day will keep your mind guessing and growing. Having unknowns in your schedule and learning to be ok with change.
2. Improves your ability with cope with stress. The better you are at coping with surprising situations, the less you’ll stress about them when they pop up unexpectedly.
3. Can get you out of a rut. Shaking things up and making a spur-of-the moment decision has superpowers in getting you of a funk.

How to be being spontaneous during COVID lockdown:

1. Change your exercise routine – try a new online class
2. Change the route you walk to get your morning coffee – admire looking at different houses, or flowers blooming in an unfamiliar street.
3. Eat lunch in the backyard
4. Have a spontaneous spa treatment at home – ask your partner, to give you a shoulder massage/facial, use a massage ball if solo.
5. Have a dance party in your lounge room, turn down the lights, play some loud tunes and dance around like no is watching (oh wait, they aren’t! So let loose and have fun)