Variety isn’t the spice of pandemic life? Average person hasn’t tried anything new in 2 months

NEW YORK — The last year and a half has sparked a major desire for Americans to spice up their lives with some variety. A survey of 2,000 people finds six in 10 have felt the urge to try something outside their comfort zone during the pandemic. That may be because the average person hasn’t tried anything new in two months, and for 12 percent, it’s been over a year.

variety in lifeFor some, trying new things has a lot to do with their personality — 21 percent describe themselves as adventurous, while 15 percent believe they have curious personalities, and five percent describe themselves as daring. Even those who describe themselves as practical (21%) or cautious (11%) like having choices. That is especially true when it comes to food and beverages (67%), entertainment (64%), new experiences (42%), and books (38%).

Commissioned by Califia Farms and conducted by OnePoll, the study finds that, since the pandemic began, 81 percent have had success adding more spice into their daily routines. More than three in four (78%) have felt a positive effect in their life after trying something new or different for the first time.

Respondents who tried something new in their lives add it made them feel happier (60%), more creative (53%), energized (52%), and content with themselves (51%). However, 53 percent of respondents admit it’s easy to get overwhelmed if they have too many things to choose from.

We want variety, but not too much…

variety in lifeThe average person only needs five options to feel happy and nearly a quarter (23%) are content with only three choices. A quarter (24%) think curiosity drives them to add something new to their daily routine. Meanwhile, 18 percent would do it at the suggestion of a friend or family member and 14 percent would do it at the suggestion of their significant other.

“We’ve learned that people really like having variety when it comes to what they eat and drink so they can experiment, dabble, and explore,” says Suzanne Ginestro, chief marketing officer of Califia Farms, in a statement. “People are inherently curious and changing things up by trying different plant-based options, new flavors, or experimenting with new ingredients can keep things feeling fresh and exciting. Whatever your preference, one thing is true: variety is the spice of life.”

The urge to try something new might be stronger than people like to admit. The average American attempts to try four new things per year. Two in three have seen positive changes in other areas of their lives after trying something new. Nearly as many (63%) have ended up loving the latest thing they tried after years of avoiding it.

Looking ahead, people are planning to continue incorporating variety. Sixty-eight percent of Americans see the post-pandemic world as an invitation to plan for more variety in the future.

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