Routine - Does it Wear You Down or Pump you Up?

We start our days with the same routines typically. There would be a great study - looking at divergence in morning rituals - well, ritual is the wrong word. Routine is better. I wonder if you looked at other species if the same thing would be visible. Over the last 25 years, I have gotten up for a shower and grab the keys and wallet and badge 25 x 300 = 7500 times. Man.

Some days I anticipate that first swing of a foot out of bed and think - ugh. I wish there was a better way. I guess I need a big mansion with 3 or 4 full bathrooms, so I can pick a different one every day, randomly, just to get a bit of variety in that part of my life.

But I've said it before and will again, we are creatures of habit, and we crave that sort of structure. When you take it away, as I have a few times in the past, while working from home, you quickly realize that there was personal value in it. That process is somehow life-affirming. It gives you a sense of belonging, a sense of place, and reinforces that you have a role in society somehow.

So what's the solution? I think the first step is being aware both of the routine and of its value. After that you can make some decisions. I'm sure the research would show that most animals have these routines. Being aware of yours gives you a sense of those things on which you are dependent. Running water, the radio (CBC! in spite of the inane morning host on our local version), transportation (vehicles, roads, gas), and the company and co-workers around you.

What if one of these things was unavailable? How difficult would that be for you. I know a morning without radio is really tough, even though the people on it are progressively more annoying, and their writing is deteriorating. I've changed my driving route to remove stress, though there's still one stress point, the timing is good and the pace is more relaxing. Around the office the routine has changed in that I'm no longer leading research for a big Oceanographic research concern, but rather pushing on my own, solitary research project, which is more isolating, but more interesting as well.

We should all be aware of the routines that we live with, and mess with them occasionally just to better understand what makes us tick. Through turning those things off and on we can understand our dependencies and maybe make improvements for the better. Try a different route to work, a different approach to your work and gain some perspective.

Researchinator turns to the routine of a morning cup of tea.