One of the more useless skills I’ve recently developed is the ability to tell time without needing to look at a clock. Sure, in terms of utility, this ranks somewhere between being able to recite the first 23 decimals in Pi or knowing the entire lyrics to the Beatles song I am the Walrus. Still. Sounds impressive, right? Although, other than the power of observation, I cannot take any credit for honing this skill. That glory belongs entirely to the seniors living with me.
My magician-like ability to guess the time has been entirely enabled by the never-deviating routines of the seniors in my home.
I can tell the time is around 7 a.m. (plus or minus 10 minutes) if I see my mother pacing intently between the kitchen and the door, her eyes lowered, cautiously focused on the ground beneath her feet. She is on her indoor morning walk (conveniently relocated so as not to let the weather or her balance issues deter her).
When the coffee maker whirs in the afternoon, or I hear the rustling of cookie wrappers, I know it’s 4:15 p.m.—time for my father-in-law’s afternoon cuppa.
I’m not exaggerating when I say the rigidity of military regimens seems to pale in comparison to the stringent routine-following I witness every day.
Their rigorous adherence is not limited to their schedules alone. Everything they do, from the time they wake up to the duration of their afternoon naps to when they retire for the night, the cups they drink their beverages from, to the brand of cookies they consume, is all part of a strictly established, unwavering protocol.
They are, without a doubt, creatures of habit.
In many ways, these routines lend structure and predictability through life’s inevitable challenges and transformations—retirement, loss, readjusting to life in a different continent, and the very real, unwelcome physical challenges of aging itself. It is no wonder they cling to routines, since these steadfast habits provide them, what I can only assume, is the last bastion of a sense of self-control.
Now, here’s the twist. It isn’t just aging seniors who are wedded to their routines.
According to this study, a vast majority of us are creatures of habit.
We buy the same foods from the same grocery store, cook with the same spices, and typically sit at the same place at the dinner table. However, when questioned about these routine activities, most of us barely remember the details of our actions.
The study goes on to describe many of our habits as almost reflexive behaviors. “Habits are automatically triggered behaviors in which we engage without conscious awareness or deliberate control.”
There is most definitely a case to be made for habitual routines. Productivity experts would unanimously agree that to make progress in any area in life, you need to make it a part of your routine—something you do consistently.
For instance, to identify myself as a writer or a runner, I should be engaging in these activities regularly, not just in the rare instances when I “feel” like doing so.
Over time, experts agree, such consistent effort will result in the automaticity of behaviors. That’s the fork in the road—when an action becomes a habit, a part of a routine. This is an enormously significant achievement because once that happens, you aren’t spending expensive cognitive resources anymore arguing with your reluctant brain about the importance of exercise, or negotiating outrageous deals with your own self to sit down in front of the computer and stare at a blank page waiting for creative inspiration to strike.
When our brains are thus freed of the constant need to make the same decision over and over, it allows our cognitive abilities to focus on more meaningful tasks.
So, yay for routines, right? Mostly, yes. But there’s an asterisk associated with routines, the fine print, if you may.
To borrow a quote again from the study referenced earlier, “Habits allow individuals who are affected by cognitive decline or impaired motivation…to behave highly efficiently despite their deficits, albeit at the expense of flexibility.”
So, there it is: the flip side to tried-and-tested routines is the lack of flexibility.
Sticking to the same routine for too long can put us in comfort zones. Is it a coincidence that the word routine includes the word “rut” already in it?
Therefore, experts advise us to periodically shake up our routines.
If the very thought of changing up a beloved routine provokes some form of anxiety, take that as a sure sign that you are stuck in the comfort zone. More bad news: breaking habits is almost as hard, or even harder, than establishing one in the first place.
But routines, unlike diamonds, aren’t forever, especially if you aspire for personal growth. So, go ahead and try to change up your routine, even if in just small ways. Take the brain out of its comfort zone.
Brush with your non-dominant hand.
If you automatically reach out for a sweet treat after dinner, try going without or at least swap for a healthier option.
Mix in a couple of days of strength training or yoga practice if all you do are cardio workouts.
Try ethnically diverse cuisines and surprise your palate every so often.
The only rule for routine change is to proceed slowly and experiment with one change at a time. Be wary of over-optimism in this area: trying to change too much too soon is a recipe for disaster.
As long as habit and routine dictate the pattern of living, new dimensions of the soul will not emerge. Henry Van Dyke