Perhaps we should take the hint.
It’s natural to settle into routines. We shop at the same supermarket, holiday in familiar places, cook the same meals and choose activities we know we’ll enjoy. There’s comfort in familiarity and, ease in routine.
But comfort comes at a cost.
Our brains are designed to adapt. They’re wired so we can solve problems, learn from experience and respond to new situations. When we repeatedly choose the familiar, we ask less of our brains. Over time, opportunities for growth become fewer.
Your brain is built to change
That’s where the science of neuroplasticity offers an encouraging perspective.
For a long time, scientists believed the brain became largely fixed in adulthood. We now know that’s not the case. Throughout our lives, the brain retains the ability to form new neural connections in response to learning and experience.i Every time we master a new skill, navigate an unfamiliar environment or tackle a challenge that requires sustained effort, the brain is strengthening and reshaping its networks.
The key word is effort.
Neuroplasticity isn’t driven by doing what comes easily. It thrives when we’re challenged, when we have to concentrate, make mistakes, adapt and try again. The very experiences we often avoid because they’re uncomfortable are often the ones that provide the greatest benefit.
In many ways, the friction is the point.
Why novelty feels so rewarding
There’s another reason trying something new can feel surprisingly energising.
Novel experiences activate the brain’s reward system, including the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in motivation, attention and learning. Rather than simply making us feel good, dopamine helps signal that something is worth paying attention to. It increases our readiness to learn and encourages us to repeat behaviours that challenge and reward us.ii
It’s one reason why mastering even a small part of a new skill can feel so satisfying. That sense of progress motivates us to keep going, creating a positive cycle where curiosity leads to learning, learning builds confidence and confidence encourages us to embrace the next challenge.
Resilience is built through challenge
Whether it’s learning a language, taking up a hobby, using new technology or travelling somewhere unfamiliar, the process can feel awkward and frustrating. But that mental effort is doing important work. It’s encouraging the brain to remain flexible, adaptable and engaged.
Research also suggests that regularly challenging the brain helps build what scientists call cognitive reserve. This refers to the brain’s ability to adapt to age-related changes by drawing on alternative neural pathways. While no single activity can prevent cognitive decline, maintaining a mentally active lifestyle is associated with better cognitive health and resilience as we age.
The benefits don’t stop with the brain
Trying new things also strengthens psychological resilience. We often think of resilience as something we call upon during major life events, but it is equally shaped by the smaller challenges we encounter every day.
Each time we become a beginner, we practise tolerating uncertainty. We discover that it’s okay not to have all the answers straight away. We learn to work through frustration instead of avoiding it. Over time, those experiences build confidence, not because the task becomes easier, but because we become more comfortable with being challenged.
Nature doesn’t burst into bloom because conditions are effortless. Growth follows a season of dormancy and requires energy, adaptation and resilience.
We’re not so different.
Growth rarely happens when life feels comfortable. It happens when we choose to stretch ourselves, whether that’s enrolling in a course, joining a walking group, volunteering, learning an instrument or simply saying yes to an experience we’ve never had before.
None of these moments will change us overnight. Together, however, they reinforce something powerful. Our capacity to learn, adapt and grow doesn’t and shouldn’t disappear with age. Like the seasons, it continues throughout life, provided we keep giving it the opportunity.
This spring, while you’re tending the garden or enjoying the longer days, consider planting something else too. A new skill. A new experience. A new challenge. To fuel your growth.
i Conceptualizing functional neuroplasticity | Science direct
ii The Science of Novelty | Psychology Today
