I read a really interesting article in Elle magazine in January about how habits make up about 95 per cent of our behaviour. This means that most of the time our brains are functioning on auto pilot so we are not fully using them creatively, it’s almost like we are walking around half asleep!

I got thinking about this and realised how true it is, from sleeping the same way in our beds, eating the same food, going to the same places, doing the same exercise routines, reading the same kind of books, watching the same TV programmes, wearing the same style or “look” of clothes, morning cups of tea or coffee and afternoon chocolate snacks, the list can go on and on...

Hannah Borno who wrote the article for Elle decided to break all her habits over a period of 2 weeks and use things to disrupt her if she was about to do her usual routine. She found that although it was hard work constantly having to do things differently she had given up caffeine, lost weight, unlocked her creativity and stress levels had reduced. So I decided to experiment with this myself, above anything it sounded like fun!


On the first day I was filled with enthusiasm for my new challenge, I woke up and decided to start work in the office a little later than normal; this meant I actually got to leave in the daylight which was so lovely. I didn’t have tea or coffee when I wanted to, instead I treated myself to a fresh juice (one I hadn’t had before) with an energy booster, which made me feel very healthy. I had a lunch that I don’t normally have, went to different places on my lunch break and didn’t have my afternoon chocolate. Instead of going out for a wine with the girls that night I persuaded them to grab a bite to eat instead, and ordered something I hadn’t had before from the menu of course! They joined into with the ordering something different too and it was a really good night. It felt great not having a wine head the next day too! Oh and I did a radio interview that day too, out of my control but still something different to what I normally do in day!

The next day I listened to a different radio station getting ready, had a different type of fresh juice instead of coffee and tea, sat in different seats on the tube (yes I even have a habit of getting on the tube at the same door and sitting in the same seat), again no afternoon chocolate, plus I had a different lunch and dinner again. I also went for a run along the river at night (I usually run round a park in the morning) which was amazing.

Over the past two weeks I have been carrying on in the same vein, every time I have gone to do something I would normally do I have done something differently, I have cooked new recipes, eaten in new restaurants, (Jamie Oliver’s in Kingston, was amazing!) been to see gigs of bands I have never heard of before, watched comedy and visited different areas of London. It has been really fun, I have really learnt how much of what I do is habit and that you really do have to use your brain doing things differently all of the time. As Hannah Borno discovered it does help to unlock your creativity. I have really enjoyed creating new experiences, trying new things and having to use my brain more. It does get tiring doing it all of the time, and sometimes you do just want to not have to think about what you are doing, but I am definitely going to stick with doing a few different things each week. Actually planning them in gives you something to look forward to as well, plus it opens your mind to new experiences.

What are two things you can do differently today? This week? Have some fun with it!!