Curiosity is good for the soul
I’m packing my warmest winter clothes in preparation for a few days in the depths of the South Island of New Zealand where the temperatures are a brisk -7 overnight. This is because I’ve signed up for a training camp to learn how to be better at curling – a curious sport that I took up a couple of years ago which is similar to lawn bowls except that it’s played on ice and it involves running after stones with a broom.
My friend Jo has played for years and she asked if I wanted to give it a try because she knows I have a passion for trying new things. So I said yes and went along to an open night. To say I was not a natural would be an understatement….I had never walked onto a sheet of ice in my life before and because I have a fear of falling I felt completely out of my element. As the evening went on it also became apparent that I had no natural affinity for the sport whatsoever. In fact the person responsible for teaching us newbies asked me with disbelief “do you play any sport at all?” after I repeatedly failed to grasp any of the basics and spent most of the lesson superman-style sliding across the ice on my stomach. I do play other sports as it happens, but for whatever reason I was really REALLY not grasping this one. So, at the end of the night, I did what the instructor and my friend least expected and signed myself up to join a team.
You might ask why would I commit to something I had no natural or apparent talent in, instead of just giving up?
The answer is that I love to do things I’m not good at and I go out of my way to find them. When I step outside of what is comfortable and familiar I feel stimulated and alive. To some people this might mean I’m a mad woman. But to me it means I’m constantly learning, I try to have a mindset based on ‘why not’ instead of ‘no’, and eventually I either become competent at something or I realise I don’t like it and my curiosity is satisfied.
Saying yes to new things isn’t a new concept but there are some great reasons why we really should step out of the comfortable and shake up our routine.
1. The thing about comfort zones is they’re not rigid. They stretch or shrink based on what we do with them. Stepping outside of what feels comfortable, and trying new things, can lead to endless new opportunities and the chance to grow your skill-set. After all, if you’ve mastered everything how do you know what you’re capable of? I remember the first time I got up to speak in public – it felt awful. But I forced myself to persevere and practice, and to become more vulnerable in the stories I share, and now it’s easy and something I actually enjoy.
With a couple of years of curling experience under my belt, I’m no longer terrible at it and every time I play I get a little bit better.
2. From a scientific point of view our brains release dopamine and other feel-good chemicals when we come across new things, which results in lower levels of anxiety and overall better psychological wellbeing. And, because the neural pathways in our brain begin to harden by the time we’re in our mid-twenties, trying new things actually stimulates our brain and creates fresh neural pathways which helps keep it active and growing. Now that I’ve reached middle age this is something I appreciate! Even something as simple as driving home a different way, or using your computer mouse in your non-dominant hand is enough to create a new pathway in your brain.
3. Curiosity can make us more empathetic to people outside our usual social circles. I have acquired the most wonderful and eclectic group of friends as a result of following my nose and giving new things a go. And sometimes I manage to haul old friends along with me. Such as last winter when my friend Rowena and I signed up for kite surfing lessons after watching other people zip along the water and thinking how much fun it looked – and it was! We laughed so much as we swallowed gallons of seawater, wrangled with our kites while wading through oyster beds in our wetsuits and grinning like idiots.
I also really enjoy the team of people I curl with. They’re amazing and have been so welcoming and encouraging as I’ve learned how to be a better player.
4. Perhaps most importantly, I find that when I’m trying something new I’m totally focused in the moment, not thinking about the day I’ve had, what’s happened at work, or what’s on my to do list. Being in the moment is really good for my stress levels, my breathing becomes slower, I’m more relaxed, and happy, calm and present.
Sometimes I admit, my curiosity can lead me to things I do not like at all. For example I really do not like heights. I discovered this many years ago moments after jumping out of an aeroplane strapped to an instructor for a tandem skydive and for the full 30 seconds of free-fall until the parachute opened I was certain my number was up. Every time I’m in a cable car or up high I have the same fear reaction and have to shut my eyes. Ocean swimming is another thing I have given a go and just did not love. While being in the sea is my happy place, the further away from shore I swam, the stronger the Jaws theme song became in my head, and I kept freaking myself out and swallowing water when I saw flashes of white in the water (which as it turns out was just my arm).
Equally though, being curious has led me to some amazing experiences, such as:
Learning new languages
Teaching myself to play the guitar and ukulele on YouTube
Traveling to the arctic circle to ride dog-sleds and stomp around in snow shoes
Walking around at night with my camera and a tutor to learn about night photography and how to take amazing long exposure shots
Taking redundancy and leaving my job to hang out with my dog
Editing a book and writing a travel blog
Tackling DIY and landscaping projects that I would otherwise have paid people to do
Expanding my career into new and unfamiliar roles
And hopefully after my journey down south, I’ll return a better curler. If not, I know I’ll have thrown myself into the opportunity and given it a go which at the end of the day is all we can really ask of ourselves.
Guest blog written by Merran Anderson
Meet Merran professionally here on LinkedIn