The Benefits of Volatility In Our Modern World

Consistent. Loyal. Dependable.

All 3 words have positive connotations in our culture, because of the immense benefits they bring to society and those around us. It is good to be a loyal friend, to be dependable in your responsibilities, and to bring a level of consistency in all that you do.

But it may be that our modern world has swung the pendulum too far, and that we’ve removed too much volatility at the expense of our own health and happiness.

In the rest of this post, I’ll share why your life might actually benefit from more volatility, and some ways to add it back in.

Our consistent modern lives

Volatile systems are not entirely predictable. They are prone to unexpected changes and a bit of unpredictability. They don’t operate with the mechanical regularity of many aspects of our modern lives. 

Take, for example, the way we space out our meals 3x a day with a small snack in between, never leaving the slightest chance for a bit of hunger to grow. Or the way we maintain our homes at a comfortable 72 degree climate year-round, only to climb into our temperature-controlled cars when we need to leave the house.

And at the end of the day, we turn on Netflix or browse the internet for hours before going to bed and doing it all again the next day.

Benefits of volatility in your life

Humans throughout history and across cultures have not lived such predictable, stable lives— and so we may do well to heed the wisdom of history and not allow ourselves to completely adapt to our comfortable routines. 

Here are a few ways that we might benefit from volatility, or the occasional mixing things up: 

We are strengthened by stressors. We have long known that periods of intense exercise followed by rest causes the body to adapt and grow stronger. But modern science is discovering that other such “shocks” to our system may benefit us as well. Fasting, sauna bathing, and exposure to cold temperatures are beginning to accumulate evidence in their favor. This makes perfect sense, and it appears that the same effect carries over to our mental health as well: exposure to some stress makes us stronger than being exposed to no stress or chronic stress. 

We grow happier from contrasts. Food never tastes so good as when you are ravishingly hungry. The warmth and coziness of a home feel heavenly after an hour shoveling snow in the cold. And rest feels most satisfying when preceded by extreme exertion. Our life is enhanced by contrasts, not diminished. If you want to appreciate and enjoy the full range of human experiences, there is no better way than to expose yourself to more variation. 

We slow down time and become more present. Do you want to slow down the perceived passing of time in your life? Would you like to look back in your old age on a lifetime filled with memories and experiences? There is a strong case to be made that monotony causes us to experience each day to pass slowly, but the weeks and months to pass away quickly in a blur. Without variation, novelty, and surprise there are simply not enough anchor points for us to hang our memories on. To read more about this topic, check out this fascinating article on how to speed up and slow down time.

We discover unexpected joys. Did you ever consider the possibility that your very best friend might be someone you haven’t met yet? Or the best book you’ll ever read might be years in your future? The most breath-taking view and your biggest laugh might be waiting for you too. All of these wonderful prospects are a great reason not to slip too deeply into the comfort and rhythm of a completely predictable routine. Some of life’s greatest moments are unexpected twists, turns, and adventures, we need only leave open the possibility for volatility and surprise to find us.

Ways to add volatility back into your life

Now, in order to be truly “volatile”, you cannot plan volatility into your life too precisely. You need to leave room for the truly unexpected. A good step in the right direction, however, is to add variety. Occasionally, expose yourself to an extreme that you may not be used to. Or simply make space to try something novel. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Occasionally skip a meal or fast for an entire day.
• Expose yourself to hot and cold environments.
• Embrace serendipity by saying yes to unplanned moments.
• Take an extended break from something that you enjoy.
• Explore all of the parks and trails within 90 minutes of your home.
• Seek out laughter and humor in your life.
• Drive a new route to a familiar destination, without using a GPS.
• Read a book on a topic that you wouldn’t normally pick up.
• Take a sabbath rest and avoid all productive activity for 24 hours.
• Invest money that you won’t need for decades into volatile assets.
• Experiment with a new hobby or skill.
• Go for a long walk without a planned route or destination.