Routines Are Great, But Spontaneity Is The Key To Brain Expansion — Here's Why

Have you ever felt like all of your days look exactly the same—like you're running on a hamster wheel? In many cases, linear life paths void of spontaneity can leave us feeling empty, uninspired, and sometimes even worse, burned out. It's as if we're just checking off boxes in our life, constantly preparing for the next best thing.

This robotic mentality has even been seeping into our well-being habits. These days, it seems like you can't scroll on social media for more than a couple of minutes before seeing yet another person share their detailed routine rundown; their perfect "5 to 9" ritual. 

As a clinical psychology researcher and co-founder of a mental well-being company, I'm all for finding consistency in structured habits—they can be a great way to turn our well-being into an unconscious, integrated part of our lives. That said, routines aren't the end-all-be-all when it comes to supporting our overall wellness. 

Let's be honest: Spontaneity is often framed as frivolous, or worse, irresponsible. In a world that's driven by productivity and efficiency, making room for experimentation seems like a nice idea—for others with more time, resources, or even creative capacity. 

When we're living on life's hamster wheel, many of our days can look exactly the same. We answer emails, finish to-do lists, and do chores in the most logical way. But consistency isn't just boring; it can lead to cynicism and procrastination that underlie the main elements of burnout. In fact, one study of Italian and Austrian university students found a causal relationship between low spontaneity and psychological suffering. 

What if I told you there's a secret to making your days feel longer and more enjoyable? Well, according to scientific research2, changing your repetitive routines is at the root of making time slow down, in the best kind of way.

That's because we can shift our perception of time, and most importantly slow it down, when we use our creative brains. When something is new, we pay attention to every single element of it. But when we've done it hundreds of times—we stop recording as much information as we used to.

Neuroscientist and creativity researcher David Eagleman, Ph.D., was the first to discover that making an effort to collect new experiences and trick our brains into doing something out of their habitual comfort zone can help us feel like time lasts forever. That's because the longer it takes to process a memory, the longer that moment feels.

Research has shown that acting without a plan (i.e., spontaneity) can increase happiness, vitality, and fulfillment. Plus, making spontaneous thinking into a consistent practice is shown to increase mental flexibility and strengthen pathways in our brains.

One famous piece of neuroscience research commonly referred to as The Nun Study3 observed the brains of nuns over decades. The researchers found that the nuns who read, worked on puzzles, learned new things, and did creative activities into old age had more brain density and kept their cognition strong—even when their brains were physically deteriorating. 

Spontaneity and routine don't have to be at odds with each other. By giving yourself room to practice openness, even with just one new idea each day, you can begin to build pathways in your brain that make spontaneity a habit.

Collecting new experiences doesn't only happen when we pack a suitcase or climb a mountain—it can occur any time we activate our creative brain. That could mean spending a few moments doodling in between meetings or taking a new route on your daily walk.

These small moments of everyday creativity and spontaneity not only quiet the prefrontal cortex of our brain, where anxious thoughts roam, but they also give us an entirely new way to look at the world. Increasing our perceptual field—literally—reduces stress in our bodies5.

Making space to inject more new, spontaneous experiences into your daily life is at the root of activating your naturally creative brain—something we often lose touch with when we're on a linear, efficient life path.