How to be More Curious
We are all naturally curious creatures. So why does it feel like sometimes we run out of it? Well, it’s because it’s in hiding — don’t worry it hasn’t run away from you. Keep reading to see how you can be more curious and benefit from curiosity!
You see, when we as people are comfortable, secure and safe, we feel curious. This may be a young child asking their parent 100 questions about whatever they are looking at, a student doing extra research to get to the bottom of a problem, or someone at your work discovering a better way of doing things. In contrast, someone who is anxious or unsafe may feel that all they need is familiarity, and so looking into ‘why something is the way it is’ simply isn’t appealing or significant. If this second part feels like you, and maybe you aren’t sure why you should even want to be curious, then here is a quick look at the benefits of curiosity.
Benefits of curiosity
At a fundamental level, curiosity makes us:
Better at Problem Solving
Smarter
Self-aware
Empathetic
All human discoveries and inventions are the result of curiosity. There are also many benefits of curiosity in the workplace.
So, how do I be more curious?
Make a list
Write down a list of things that you want to know, and look into them. It can be as stupid or as intellectual as you like, just as long as you walk away with new knowledge. I recently looked into why so many movies are super hero movies now. Very interesting.
Watch a documentary
It can be about your favourite band, movie, or even science that you like. It can be about anything you’re interested in. You always find something new!
Spend time Alone in Nature
Spend time alone in a garden or park. Dirt is an ecosystem as rich as the ocean, and it’s just under our feet. Spend 10 minutes looking at one patch and notice all the workings of the bugs that live there. For an added benefit, our CEO Grahame recommends doing it with your shoes off, to really get back in tune with nature.
Have some ‘me’ time
Schedule time for yourself. It can be hard when you are working from home to work out when to schedule time for yourself, especially if scheduling isn’t your strong suit (it’s definitely not mine). However, giving yourself permission to have time each day to really do something that only you want to do is really powerful long-term in reconnecting with yourself, feeling less anxious, and becoming curious not only about life in general, but about yourself.
So hopefully you are feeling inspired to help do your own curious activity and learn a bit about the world. If you want to learn about the Power of Curiosity, then check out this podcast with Danette and Grahame.
Have a Magical day!