These articles are part of the One in a Million platform — a space for real, soul-to-soul connection. They’re here to support the deeper conversations I have with people one-on-one. Through mentorship, friendship, and real-time companionship, I offer a place to talk, reflect, and walk beside you on your journey. Each article is meant to spark reflection, open dialogue, and gently support you as part of the larger experience at oneinamillion.me.
Sometimes the mind just won’t shift — no matter how much we try to think positively or “snap out of it.” This article explores a powerful and simple tool: change your environment, and your perception will follow. Whether it’s stepping into a new room, taking a walk, or switching up the conversation, this playful trick helps break negative spirals, shift energy, and make space for a fresher, lighter perspective.
Today’s Challenge:
Try this today – when you feel stuck, overwhelmed, anxious, or in a downward spiral — change one thing.
Change your room.
Change the conversation.
Change your clothes.
Change your view (yes, even just looking out a window counts).
Keep it playful. Keep it light. And notice what shifts in you when you shift the world around you.
Reach out and Talk.
Please Reach Out if You’d Enjoy Talking About Your Daily Experience.
I’ve played with these tools myself — I only write about things that have made a real difference to my own daily experience, perspective, and state of being. Everything I share comes from inner growth and lived insight, not textbook techniques. I’d love to hear about your daily life — what you’re navigating, what you struggle with, and what you hope to shift or grow. I’d be honored to walk alongside you on your path.
“Take a walk outside — it will serve you far more than pacing around in your mind.”
— Rasheed Ogunlaru
Change the Scene
A Daily Trick for Instant Shifts in Energy
Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to think our way out of a spiral, it just doesn’t work. That’s because thoughts often ride on energy — and if the energy isn’t changing, the thoughts won’t either. The trick? Change the scene. Change the subject. Change the setting. That’s it.
Stuck in a funk in your bedroom? Get in the car. Mid-conversation spiral? Excuse yourself. Come back fresh. Anxious at your desk? Walk outside, look at the sky, feel the air.
We often think we need a breakthrough, when what we really need is just a break. A new room, a different view, a fresh breeze — these are not escapes, they’re energetic resets. When you shift your environment, you shift your mind.
Even ancient Zen masters knew this — sometimes they wouldn’t answer a question with words, but with a sudden clap or a gesture. Why? Because it interrupted the mind’s loop and created a snap of clarity. That’s exactly what this tool is. A reset. A trick. A light switch.
“You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it.” — Albert Einstein
And it’s true — if your thoughts are stuck in loops, don’t try to force better ones in the same space. Get up. Move. Change it up. Go outside, walk a new road, talk to a different person, or even just spin around and face a different direction. You’ll be amazed at how often your inner weather changes just because your outer world did.
This is your invitation to treat change as a playful tool. Like a camera lens, shift angles. Like a song, switch tracks. You don’t have to fix the problem right now — just change the room it’s in.
“If you’re stuck in a dark place, move. Even if it’s just a step, movement changes everything.”
— Elizabeth Gilbert
TEACHINGS & RESOURCES
Ancient and Contemporary Teachings:
Below is a list of ideas from various ancient and modern teachings that support the ideas above.
Science
Neuroscience confirms that changing your environment stimulates different neural pathways. Novelty activates the brain’s reward system (dopamine release), breaking repetitive negative loops and enhancing mood and cognition. Even a short walk or a change in visual scenery improves problem-solving and emotional regulation.
Sociology
Social behavior studies show that routines and environments reinforce emotional patterns. Changing social settings or stepping outside habitual interactions can shift identity narratives, disrupt social scripts, and offer fresh relational dynamics. This is why retreats, travel, or simply stepping outside can help reframe our internal story.
Psychology
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) emphasizes interrupting negative thought patterns through behavioral activation — the practice of doing something different (like changing your location or task) to affect your mood. Psychologists also highlight state-dependent memory, where physical state influences recall — changing state helps access new perspectives.
Quantum Physics
Though often metaphorical in lay discussion, quantum concepts like observer effect and potentiality align with the idea that how we “observe” or engage with a situation alters our experience of it. Changing perspective (observer) changes the unfolding of possible outcomes.
Modern Day Living Examples
Digital Nomads change geography to reset routines and mental states.
Breakout Rooms in meetings are a modern example of scene-shifting to reset group dynamics.
Hospitality and retail training often include tactics like “resetting the scene” (e.g., rearranging displays or rotating staff) to maintain energy and customer engagement.
Contemporary Teachers
Mel Robbins teaches the 5-second rule to jolt oneself into action by breaking inertia.
Joe Dispenza speaks about disrupting familiar emotional signatures to create new neurological patterns.
Marie Forleo and other motivational speakers often encourage micro-shifts in behavior to reset emotional patterns.
Ancient Philosophy
Stoicism teaches detachment and view from above, urging a shift in perception to regain rational control.
Plato spoke of “stepping out of the cave” — a metaphor for breaking free from illusions through changed perspective.
Buddhism encourages non-attachment and mindful movement, using walking meditation to shift energy and perception.
Ancient and Modern Spiritual Teachings
Christian Mysticism often involves retreat and solitude (desert fathers/mothers) to step away from worldly patterns.
Hindu and Yogic texts teach pratyahara — withdrawal of senses — as a way to reset awareness and break the loop of habitual mind.
Sufi Whirling uses movement to shift consciousness and gain clarity beyond ordinary perception.
Indigenous Wisdom
Many Indigenous traditions emphasize the healing power of changing physical context — whether by entering sweat lodges, going on vision quests, or engaging with nature. Movement and change are seen as spiritual medicine. The land itself is considered alive and responsive to our inner state — so walking, relocating, or “changing directions” is both practical and sacred.
“A change of scenery can help everything.”
— Drew Pomeranz
I’d Love to Hear From You
If anything in this article spoke to you, or sparked a thought, I’d love to hear about it. Whether you want to explore these ideas more deeply or simply share what’s going on in your life right now, you’re warmly invited to reach out. You don’t need to have it all figured out — I’m here to listen, reflect, and walk beside you in whatever part of the journey you’re in..
Below is a List of Resources – Read, Watch, Listen and Be Inspired!
Books
“Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself” – Dr. Joe Dispenza How thought patterns, identity, and environment lock us in place — and how to reset them through conscious practice.
“The Power of Now” – Eckhart Tolle Explores how changing your focus and presence in the moment can instantly shift energy and reduce mental noise.
“Atomic Habits” – James Clear Shows how small behavioral changes—like changing your physical environment—can dramatically shift long-term outcomes.
“Feel Better Fast and Make It Last” – Dr. Daniel Amen Neuroscience-backed strategies to shift mood through movement, nutrition, and perception techniques.
“The Untethered Soul” – Michael A. Singer Teaches how to step back into the observer self and shift identity away from emotional turbulence.
You Tube Videos
Mel Robbins – “The 5 Second Rule to Change Your Life” A fast mental tool to break inertia and change your state in five seconds. Mel Robbins on YouTube
Joe Dispenza – “How to Rewire Your Brain” How changing actions and environments shifts neurological patterns. Dr. Joe Dispenza Channel
Jay Shetty – “Why Changing Your Environment Can Change Your Life” Explains environment’s role in energy, purpose, and habit patterns.
The Holistic Psychologist – “How to Stop Spiraling” Practical insights into interrupting emotional loops through environmental and sensory changes.
TED Talks
“Try Something New for 30 Days” – Matt Cutts A playful and profound talk on how small changes reshape perception.
“The Power of Vulnerability” – Brené Brown Discusses how stepping into new emotional spaces and changing how we relate to discomfort can shift life perspective.
“The Art of Stillness” – Pico Iyer Argues that subtle shifts in how and where we place our attention can change our entire life experience.
“How to Make Stress Your Friend” – Kelly McGonigal A shift in perception about stress changes our biological response to it.
Experts
Mel Robbins – Expert in breaking mental patterns through behavior-first change.
Dr. Joe Dispenza – Teacher of neuroplasticity and intentional identity shift.
Dr. Andrew Huberman – Neuroscientist sharing tools on changing mental state via vision and environment.
Marie Forleo – Motivation meets practicality: “Everything is figureoutable.”
Sadhguru – Explores energy shifts through movement, nature, and shifting inner geometry.
Research
Stanford’s Mind & Body Lab – Studies on behavior change, embodiment, and environmental influence. https://mbl.stanford.edu
Harvard Study on Decision Fatigue and Environment Found that physical movement and location changes reduce decision fatigue and improve clarity.
Neuroscience Journal Articles on State-Dependent Learning Demonstrate how mental and physical state (including environment) affects perception and recall.
American Psychological Association (APA) – Research on behavioral activation therapy Used to treat depression through environmental and behavior-based interventions.
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