When You Should Tell Your Subconscious To Shut Up And Try Something New

It is difficult having to cope with the “human condition.”

We are supposed to have inner peace, be thankful and happy with what we have, yet also have ambitions and strive to better ourselves.

We have to be respected and respectful, trustworthy and dependable, but also spontaneous, adventurous and exciting.

We are taught having a routine structures our lives in a positive way, but too much routine means we are in a rut and should enjoy our lives more.

This devilish conundrum presents itself most dazzlingly when it comes to trying new things.

We know trying new things is good for us because it leads us to evolve, stops days from blurring into weeks and makes our lives memorable. Have you ever noticed how much longer a day seems when you try something new?

Something as small as having a 10-minute chat with a crush to whom you had never spoken or trying a new class at the gym can revolutionize your day.

Furthermore, take note of how much you have changed since you were a teenager. This transformation process does not magically end upon turning 18.

We often talk about authenticity and being true to ourselves.

But, trying to be authentic is not a license to stop evolving and instead, doing the same old stuff over and over again.

Our personalities are fluid, so being authentic means regularly looking deep within and being honest with yourself, even if today's truth is different from yesterday's truth.

So, yes, new things are absolutely good for us, but sometimes, the pressure of living lives that look perfect on Instagram pushes us beyond healthy limits.

And, all of us have limits. Limit is not a dirty word, despite what the current economy of dreams tries to convey.

No one person can be all and do all.

Going out of our comfort zones will never be an entirely smooth and relaxing experience.

When it comes to new things, the hard part is differentiating between you being a big, scared wet blanket — which is completely normal — and your subconscious telling you to go back and let go because this is not for you.

There are obviously no hard rules regarding how to tell the two scenarios apart, but here are a few telltale signs that might mean you should hold off from doing this specific new thing:

Punch or Hate

When backed into a corner to do something you have never done on your own, you will want someone to blame for putting you in the situation — the government, the media or the lady from the cafeteria.

Do you feel like punching someone, or do you feel hatred?

Feeling like smacking someone just means you need an outlet for your stress; whereas, feeling hatred is a deeper, more concerning emotion. Introspect carefully.

Butterflies or Stomach Cramps

Feeling slight nausea and wondering whether tiny mice are making tiny babies in your stomach is reason for concern, but feeling actual stomach cramps and not being able to even swallow water is likely bad.

Nauseated excitement is good; throwing up breakfast is bad.

Human Megaphone or Wallflower

This one may depend on whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, but even if you do keep most of your thoughts to yourself, usually when confronted with a stressor, most people want to share their emotions with at least one other person.

There is an exception, though: If you feel so scared, embarrassed or insecure that you barricade yourself in a dark room, switch your phone to airplane mode and start attacking your canned food reserves to avoid going out, then it’s worrisome.

Smile or Bare Teeth

No matter how stressed you are, take a deep breath and when exhaling, try to muster the biggest smile you can. You should be able to do this and feel better instantly.

If you can’t manage to take this 15-second, happy timeout, then remove yourself from your plans.

Treat or Tattoo

Buying coffee so expensive that a Unicorn must have pooped in it, splurging for a meat lovers pizza or taking a cab home from work is completely acceptable. You want to treat yourself.

However, suddenly craving huge changes, like tattoos, piercings, quitting your job on the spot or buying a pet may indicate that you want to get out of whatever you have planned so much so you would make a drastic decision just to have an excuse to cancel.