Sometimes, when life feels a little flat, we assume we need to make a change. A proper change. We imagine a holiday, a new hobby, a major project or perhaps an entirely new direction in life. And sometimes we might.

But occasionally, what we actually need is to go and drink our coffee somewhere else.

It sounds almost ridiculously simple, but a change of scene can have a surprisingly powerful effect on how we feel. A different view, a different route, a different place to sit or simply getting out of the house for an hour can make an ordinary day feel unexpectedly fresh. Nothing significant has changed.

And yet, somehow, something has.

The strange sameness of familiar surroundings

One of the pleasures of retirement is having more time at home. No commute. No rushing out of the door every morning. No spending half your life wondering whether you remembered to turn the iron off. Home can finally become somewhere we actually have time to enjoy. But there can be a slight downside.

When we spend a lot of time in the same surroundings, our world can gradually become smaller without us really noticing. We sit in the same chair. Drink coffee from the same mug. Walk the same route. Go to the same shops. Look out of the same window.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of this. Familiarity can be comforting. But every now and then, our brains seem to appreciate being given something different to look at.

You don't have to go very far

When we think about a change of scene, we often imagine going away. Preferably somewhere involving a balcony, a sea view and somebody else making breakfast. Lovely, obviously. But changing the scenery doesn't have to involve a suitcase.

You could take your morning coffee into the garden instead of drinking it in the kitchen. Drive to a different beach for your walk. Visit a library you haven't been to before. Take yourself out for breakfast. Explore a suburb you normally drive straight through. Sit by the water with a book. Try a different café. Visit a gallery, garden centre or local market. Take the long way home.

None of these things is particularly dramatic. But that is rather the point.

A small change of surroundings can interrupt the familiar pattern of a day without requiring us to reorganise our entire lives.

Ordinary things can feel different somewhere else

Have you ever noticed that reading a book in a café somehow feels different from reading exactly the same book on your sofa? Or that a sandwich eaten beside the sea is considerably more exciting than the identical sandwich eaten at the kitchen table? There is no logical reason for this. The sandwich has not improved. And yet it has.

Our surroundings influence our experience more than we sometimes realise.

A cup of coffee on a sunny terrace can feel like a treat. Writing in a notebook somewhere peaceful can make our thoughts flow differently. A conversation during a walk can take a completely different direction from the same conversation at home.

Sometimes changing where we are changes how we experience what we are already doing.

A little distance can give us perspective

There is another benefit to changing our surroundings. Sometimes we need to physically move away from our normal environment to see things a little differently. At home, we are surrounded by reminders.

The washing that needs folding. The cupboard that needs sorting. The email we haven't answered. The garden that could do with some attention. The mysterious pile of things on the kitchen bench that apparently belongs to everyone and no one.

Even when we are supposedly relaxing, part of our attention can remain attached to all the things around us. Go somewhere else and, temporarily at least, none of them can follow you.

A different environment creates a little breathing space.

You might find yourself thinking about something differently. You might have an idea. You might notice how tired you have been. Or you might simply enjoy an hour in which nobody — including you — expects you to achieve anything.

That can be surprisingly restorative.

Become a tourist in your own life

Most of us are far more adventurous when we are away from home. On holiday, we wander down unfamiliar streets. We visit gardens and galleries. We sit in cafés watching the world go by. We stop to admire views.

At home, we go to the supermarket.

There are probably places close to where you live that visitors would happily put on their itinerary and that you have driven past for the last seven years thinking, I must go there one day. Perhaps one day could be next Wednesday.

Being curious about our own surroundings can make familiar life feel new again. You don't need to travel hundreds of kilometres.

Sometimes you simply need to turn left where you usually turn right.

Follow your energy

A change of scene doesn't always have to mean doing more. If you're feeling energetic and curious, you might want to explore somewhere completely new. But if you're tired or feeling a little flat, your change of scene can be very gentle.

Take a book to a café. Sit somewhere with a lovely view. Drive to the coast and watch the water. Visit a friend. Find a shady bench in a park.

The aim isn't to create another task for yourself. It is simply to notice when your world has begun to feel a little too familiar and give yourself something different to see.

Create your own little escapes

I think there is something rather lovely about having a few places you can escape to. Not dramatic escapes involving fake passports and a new identity. Just places that make you feel slightly different when you are there.

A favourite café.

A particular stretch of beach.

A quiet library.

A park with a good bench.

A garden centre where you can wander around for an hour without actually buying seventeen plants.

These places can become little pockets of possibility in our everyday lives. Somewhere to go when the walls feel a little too close. Somewhere to think. Somewhere to reset. Or simply somewhere to have a very nice piece of cake!

Perhaps you don't need to change your life

There will, of course, be times when something bigger needs to change. But not every restless afternoon is a sign that we need to reinvent ourselves. Not every flat day requires a new life plan.

Sometimes we are simply bored with the view.

And the wonderful thing about that is that it can be remarkably easy to do something about. Pick up your book. Put on your shoes. Grab your keys. Go somewhere else for a while.

You may return to exactly the same life you left a few hours earlier. But you might just return to it feeling a little different.

A little something to think about

Where could you go this week simply for a change of scene?

It doesn't need to be far away, expensive or particularly exciting. Choose somewhere that offers you something different — a different view, a different atmosphere or simply a different chair.

You never know. It might be just the change you needed.