Notes to self: Say yes to change

OK, this sounds a little dangerous, but I really believe the best way to transform your life is to say "yes". I know this isn't revolutionary. In fact, I just plain stole it from the Danny Wallace book The Yes Man (and subsequent film starring Jim Carey), but, really, it does wonders to your excitement levels.

Anyone who knows anything about Bangkok knows that you can't say "yes" to everything all the time, or you'll end up in a lot of trouble. But saying yes to more stuff has definitely brought me out of a little depressive moment I was having after my concussion and after Brock, my best friend in Bangkok, left. That's not to say for one minute that I don't still miss him like mad, but now I don't feel quite so utterly confused about how I will spend the day or what I will do in a crisis. (I have a daily crisis — from "how sensible is it to try and hit on my Body Pump instructor who doesn't speak English" to "where is the most safe place to lock my bicycle?". Seriously, I can't figure out anything for myself.)

During the first few days after he left, I decided it was easiest to stay at home, sulk and look at photos of pretty men from perfume advertisements to help pass the days. But in the long run, I decided that would just make me sadder. In every possible way.

Instead, I have inflicted myself on everyone. I have invited myself out to parties, I've said yes to every single invitation (though concussion side-effects mean I've said yes to them and then slept through them, much to my embarrassment) and I've started to create new bridges, a new routine and a new friendship group.

Sometimes saying yes means you're out partying with new friends until 7am (though, I must admit, this isn't too unusual for me). Sometimes saying yes means you're completing a 10km fun run at 7am on a Saturday morning, dancing to live Thai bands on-board a fishing boat at night or riding your bike to a bar at 4am in a dress you just bought from a street market because you'd originally thought you were only going to go to the gym that day. The best bit is that it opens you up to new experiences and new people. If you want to change things, I think you have to say yes. Even if the thing you're saying yes to sounds truly hideous (within reason!), at best you'll find you enjoy yourself and, at worst, you'll have a great story to tell another time. You'll never want to re-live the boredom and despair of the night you stayed in and ate three bowls of Alpen while googling Korean boyband members (or is that just me?), so why not go out instead?

By going for the safe option, you virtually guarantee your life will become more predictable and your group of friends will diminish, but by getting out there, even when you'd rather be curled up in a ball in your room, you have so many more options.

I am amazed by how many people I know who aren't content with their lives, want something to change and yet never alter their routine.

By saying yes, you definitely end up in some silly situations, some boring ones and some downright weird ones — but at least it's better than not ending up in any situation at all. I can't say I'll never devote an evening to googling Korean boy bands ever again (a girl has to have a few guilty pleasures), but I can say that if another alterative comes up, I'll say yes to that instead.

Nights in, takeaways, TV programmes and Facebook can all wait.