For a long time, I lived by the principle: "predictable is better than anxious." The same route home. The same cafe. Even the playlist on Spotify had not changed for years. I thought that was stability.

But one day I was walking home and did not notice how I took a wrong turn. As a result, I found myself in a small bakery that I had not seen before. I bought lavender tea there. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was breathing. It was strange. I did not jump with a parachute. I just bought another tea. But it seemed to me that it was a jump.

That's where my "small exits" began. Not grandiose. But tangible.
I began to go to new places. To speak first. To say yes to offers that I would have ignored before. I stopped planning everything down to the last detail. And at first it was scary. But then it became a game.

I call it the "tremor test." If an idea makes you shudder a little, it means it's worth going there. But only one step. You don't have to change everything right away. Sometimes you just need to try a new dish, write to an old friend, or watch a movie in a genre you've never chosen.

I stopped being afraid to be spontaneous. And you know what's most amazing? Life stopped being gray. It started to have accents. Color, sound, even smells became brighter. It's not about change for the sake of change. It's about the opportunity to feel again.

Now I do something every week that slightly pushes me out of my comfort zone. This is my ritual. And there is no stress in it - only movement. Warm, soft, alive.