Having successfully weened myself off the microwave over the last 7 months, I'm now sensitive to the taste of heat when I do use the microwave. Microwave hot is sharp and sudden, as opposed to say stove hot, which has an even distribution and stays warm for much longer. Sensing the different quality of heat is most apparent in liquids, especially tea. If not for any other health benefits, gaining the ability to note the difference was worth it.
Similarly, another experiment I've been running in the winter is heating myself through exercise instead of turning up the thermostat. Coming in from the cold, blistery weather, my natural instinct used to be to turn on the external heater or crank up the dial on the thermostat. Over the next half hour, I warmed up, but the room felt like a sauna. You could smell the nutty odor of the heat. The rest of the time became a battle trying to find a balance between the ups and downs of fake heat.
Instead, I began doing 10 minutes of jumping jacks, high knees, butt kicks, and pushups. My muscles needed to move and no external heat source was going to make them truly heat up the way exercise did. At the end, I felt great thanks to the endorphins, and the feeling of warmth lasted for hours. If I did need to use the heater, I was more attuned to when I should turn it off.
Discovering alternatives to the usual wasn't planned. It truly just happened as a result of following my instincts or trying something new. Planning helps tremendously with a clear, task-based objective. I'm amazed though at the power of long-term experimentation and the unexpected benefits it can offer.