A routine of work and running household errands over an extended period can drag you into rut, with the added consequence of feeling as though your problems are at the centre of the universe.

A good way to conquer these feelings is to swap the relatively quiet, seaside lifestyle of the South Coast for the overwhelming intensity and unrelenting chaos of New York City.

In the Big Apple, everything beyond the city’s five boroughs ceases to exist. The Eurobodalla, Sydney, and Australia become just specks on a map more than 16,000 km away.

As you navigate your way through the city’s gridlocked streets, teeming with people, cars, bikes, couriers and dogs (New Yorkers really do love their dogs), you get a real reminder of just how insignificant you really are.

Walking the streets is a sensory overload – the sounds of honking horns, squeaky brakes and car engines is unavoidable; skyscrapers dominate the visual landscape above and beyond you, all while millions of other tiny humans battle for their space among the chaotic crowds.

At every corner, there are people, going about their lives, scurrying from place to place, helping the world run on schedule. If someone comes off the urban rollercoaster, their absence will be quickly filled with another.

Getting from point A to point B becomes a fight for survival. The city spectacle will entice and draw you in at every corner, before catching you off guard. One unexpected glance at a hustler can can lead to a startling confrontation. 

You must keep your head down. Limit your eye contact. Engage in conversations sparingly. But most importantly, your movements need to have purpose. 

In amongst the flow of the crowds, the mass of strangers, and the claustrophobia-inducing bubble of the city, you’re reminded that your worries and troubles are trivial and irrelevant.

As the saying goes, sometimes you have to become lost to find yourself again. And what better place to get lost than in New York City – just not when you’re on your own late at night, of course.