Disrupting your familiar existence by, say, taking a sabbatical from work to travel, starting your own business, or moving cross-country is one of the most exhilarating and rewarding things you’ll do. Ever. “Making a big change can increase your sense of life’s possibilities, and as you rise to new challenges, this can also increase your resilience,” says Rick Hanson, Ph.D., a psychologist and the author of Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness. “Bold moves can also lead to rapid personal growth, can build your personal independence and confidence, and can add more excitement to your life.”
The leap of faith necessary to do something totally different has other powerful effects on the brain, Hanson adds. “Big changes call for a creative, even playful…