Wellbeing: Discovering The Joy of Saying Yes

By Emma Kate Miller

For years, it felt like being spontaneous was something other people did. When you have school-aged children, your days are bound by timetables, extracurriculars, and the unrelenting rhythm of family life. Even when gaps appear, they tend to be swiftly filled—with chores, work, or simply the need to sit still for five minutes.

But now, with two grown daughters back at university, my husband unexpectedly between jobs for ten days, and Hood’s latest issue safely on shelves, we did something completely out of character—we booked a last-minute trip to Egypt. No time for a pedicure, no new holiday wardrobe, just a dash to Boots for the essentials, and off we went.

As I lie here, looking out over the Red Sea, I realise how little space I’ve given spontaneity in my life. I like to plan. I like to know what’s coming next. But stepping into the unknown—even in the relatively safe confines of a holiday—has been unexpectedly freeing. No endless to-do list, no scheduling, just the simple pleasure of seeing where the day takes us.

And it’s got me thinking. When the laundry is done, the dishwasher is running, and my copy is filed, do I really need to plan everything to the nth degree? Maybe it’s time to welcome a little more of the unexpected. A last-minute day trip, an impromptu coffee with a friend, a brisk walk along the beach just because the sun is shining. Maybe, just maybe, spontaneity and I are about to become better acquainted.

Do you feel like your life is lacking in spontaneity? Here are our top five ways to be a little bit more spontaneous.

5 Easy Ways to Be More Spontaneous

1. Say Yes More Often

The next time someone invites you for a last-minute lunch or suggests a midweek cinema trip, resist the urge to check your diary and just say yes. Plans don’t have to be weeks in the making to be enjoyable.

2. Loosen the Reins

Not everything has to be meticulously planned. If you always book the same restaurants, take the same routes, or stick to rigid routines, try shaking things up. Let someone else choose where to eat or take a different path on your daily walk.

3. Keep a Go-Bag

A packed weekend bag or a swimsuit and trainers in the car mean you’re always ready for a spontaneous night away or a last-minute dip in the sea. Sometimes, the only thing stopping spontaneity is the hassle of getting ready for it.

4. Make Space for the Unexpected

Leave a little breathing room in your week. If every moment is scheduled, there’s no room for whimsy. An empty afternoon might just be the opportunity you need to say yes to something unexpected.

5. Trust That It’ll Work Out

Overplanning often comes from a fear that things will go wrong. But some of the best memories come from the unplanned and the imperfect. A wrong turn, a random café stop, an unexpected detour—these are often the moments that make a day, a trip, or even a life more interesting.

Maybe the secret to spontaneity isn’t just being open to change—it’s realising that sometimes, the best plans are the ones you never made.