A Little Something New
Thinking About Novelty, Motivation, And Mental Health
Saturday morning after my run, I was scrolling through photos of my cats. There are quite a few of them. I started wondering, what if I made an account where my cats just had feelings? A picture of one looking silly: “I’m feeling silly.” Next one: “Maybe I’ll run for no reason.” That was really all there was to it.
About ten minutes later, I was still amused, so I made the account. But I told myself right away, this wasn’t going to turn into another project. No big goals, no pressure to make it into something. I just wanted something small and playful, mostly because it sounded fun. Honestly, it’s given me a bit more energy than I expected.
Sometimes, I think We Just Need Something New
When I think about mental health, I notice we often focus on reducing things. Reduce stress, do less, take a break, get enough sleep. Sometimes that’s exactly what we need.
But there are also times when nothing is really wrong. Life just starts to feel repetitive. You’re doing what you need to do, things are basically fine, but not much feels new or interesting. Sometimes adding something small gives your attention somewhere new to go.
Why Novelty Can Feel Energizing
Novelty tends to get our attention. When something is new or potentially rewarding, systems involved in attention, motivation, anticipation, and reward become part of the picture. Dopamine plays a role here, though I’m careful with that word because it’s often oversimplified online. It’s not just a “happy chemical,” and mood or motivation can’t be explained by one neurotransmitter.
What I find more helpful is to ask myself questions like:
What am I interested in right now?
What am I curious about?
What am I actually looking forward to?
For me this week, it turns out it’s two cats naming their feelings. It’s not a big change, but I noticed that having this small thing I was interested in gave me a bit more energy.
When Everything Starts To Feel Like It Has To Be Useful
Of course, I caught myself almost immediately trying to justify the account. Well, maybe it helps people notice their own feelings. Maybe someone sees a cat saying, “I’m feeling silly. Maybe I’ll run for no reason,” and it reminds them that emotions can just be noticed and named without needing to turn every one of them into a big problem. And I do like that part.
But I noticed how quickly I wanted to turn my hobby into something useful. We get very good at giving everything a purpose. Exercise for health, reading to learn, classes for work, even hobbies that eventually become side projects. None of that is necessarily a problem. But I think there’s something important about doing things simply because you enjoy them. Safe, healthy, and just for fun 🙂. It doesn’t have to become productive or impressive.
Why I Pay Attention To Interest And Enjoyment
This connects to something I pay attention to in my work as well. When someone’s mood changes, I try to understand what’s happened to their interest and enjoyment. Are they still looking forward to things? Have they stopped doing activities they used to enjoy? Does everything take more effort?
A loss of interest or pleasure can be part of depression, especially when it comes with other changes in sleep, energy, concentration, motivation, appetite, or how someone is functioning day to day. That doesn’t mean boredom is depression. I’m always looking at the whole picture.
There’s also a therapy approach called behavioral activation, where part of the work is gradually bringing meaningful or rewarding activities back into someone’s life, sometimes even before motivation has fully returned. That doesn’t mean someone with depression just needs a hobby. Depression is more layered than that. But even outside of depression, I think it helps to notice what brings some interest, enjoyment, or meaning back into your week.
A Small Question To Take With You
We don’t have to chase novelty all the time. Routine matters, and there’s value in familiarity and in sticking with things even after the initial excitement fades. But sometimes a little variation is enough to help something feel fresh again. Maybe it’s taking a different running route, reading fiction again, trying a new recipe, learning something random, taking photos, or gardening. Or making an Instagram account for your cats.
So lately, I’ve been paying more attention to this question: What am I actually looking forward to? And it's not because everything has to be exciting. But because interest, curiosity, enjoyment, and play matter too. For me right now, it’s Vi and Jinx feeling their feelings. And I’m happy to let it stay that simple.
If you want to see them, they’re on Instagram and TikTok at @viandjinxcats.