The other week, I took a mental health day – treating Wednesday as if it were a Sunday.

I slept in, took a leisurely walk, and worked later in the day – just a little bit.

Intentionally scrambling the days of the week like eggs in a pan felt like a radical undoing.

Having a Sunday-sort of feeling in the middle of the week was refreshing. Unlike Wednesdays, which disappoint with their not-quite-there-yet view of the rest of the week, Sundays are pastoral, open-aired. They’re also distinctly different from get-it-done Mondays or Tuesdays, which quickly bloat with work.

Anyway, all of that is just my weekday perception of time, proof of how hidebound I’ve become – as has our culture – in forcing time into an industrialized, work-a-day mold.

Before I say more about any of this, I recognize my privilege. Most of us can’t take a day off when we feel like it, if at all.

But saying no to what a weekday or your usual routine prescribes is liberating, and you can do it in small ways. (See below for suggestions) Sometimes it’s even necessary to fend off the blahs, generate new ideas, and feel inspired again.

Routines are comforting and mood-stabilizing. But they’re also stupefying. Without occasionally shaking the snow globe of our lives, it’s easy to feel overworked or bored.

Switching things up takes effort and mindfulness because it goes against our nature. Social scientists say that as much as 65% of everyday behaviors are automatic and habitual rather than conscious.

Maybe that’s why when I hear that someone went out dancing on a Monday night or ate pancakes for lunch, it feels thrilling.

A friend once confessed that if she wants to watch television at 3 p.m. while working from home, she does it.

I remember thinking at the time how amazing that small act of rebellion sounded. So much so that I followed her lead. I discovered watching television in the afternoon was delightful, like having ice cream for dinner. It also made me more productive. My work flowed much more easily after indulging in a guilty pleasure.

Research shows that novelty is healthy for our brains, increasing motivation and learning. It also releases dopamine in the brain’s reward center.

You needn’t take a day off to invite a bit of novelty into your life to beat the blahs or renew your mental health. Just adding a twist to anything you routinely do can liven things up. Here are a few suggestions:

• Eat Mindfully: Even taking a single bite of a strawberry with full, embodied attention can change how you experience the habitual act of eating. It never fails to amaze me how slowing down to see, hear, and taste my food fundamentally changes my relationship to what I’m eating, typically making it more enjoyable and interesting.

• Take Another Route: The other day, I took an unfamiliar route to a friend’s house. Doing so sparked a host of reactions – confusion, interest, worry, and joy. All that in a 20-minute drive. The confusion and worry about not knowing where I was going faded as I saw so many new and delightful things along the way.

• Do the Same Thing Differently: I meditate every morning and practice Qigong. Lately, I’ve decided I’m going to do both outdoors. It’s not a dramatic change, and yet it feels new and even like a bit of a stretch. I’ve also noticed that it’s boosted my mood.

On My Mind