If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine; it is lethal. Paul Coelho
In his novel Veronika Decides to Die, Paul Coelho uses Veronika's story to highlight how living a life centered around routine without passion can be more detrimental to one's spirit and well-being than the perceived risks of stepping outside one's comfort zone. Coelho’s take is that while adventures and new experiences might seem dangerous, the real danger lies in a monotonous life that stifles creativity, growth, and joy.
Productivity Olympics
As he usually does, Coelho makes a very good point: Routines are great, but it’s equally vital to shake those routines up every so often. That said, Coelho’s message is, quite frankly, antithetical to people like me who create routines like we’re competing for a spot in the productivity Olympics. Having spent a great deal of time thinking about how to make every second of the day effective and develop falter-proof to-do lists, I read Coelho’s message like I’d read the Farmer’s Almanac – advice meant for a different audience, with nothing to do with me or my life.
But over the last few weeks, I’ve been hit by the weighty dreariness of my to-do lists, accompanied by rapidly plummeting creativity. Life continued to trudge along, but I found myself, without a doubt, in the throes of a creativity burnout. It may seem a bit rich and first-worldly to complain about declining inspiration when there are no actual life crises. But busyness by itself is pointless. As Bill Watterson said, “It’s not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: what are we busy about?"
Unending busyness
Tasks like meeting work deadlines, managing my aging mother’s prescriptions, or preparing my college-bound teen for dorm life are essential, but they're not disappearing anytime soon. And when they do, they'll just be replaced by equally mundane and prosaic chores.
Don’t get me wrong. Routines are precious—they add comfort and a sense of progress to our daily lives. But as Cal Newport, author of Slow Productivity, writes, applying the industrialization model to our creative lives isn’t working. Most of our creative pursuits, hobbies, and even the jobs we do today require much more cognitive focus than industrial or manufacturing jobs.
Extracting value from the human brain is not something that can be regularized like installing a steering wheel on a Model T… It’s the grinding regularity of manufacturing that’s the outlier, not our instinctual attraction to a more natural pace of work. Cal Newport.
How to identify routine fatigue?
Here are some signs that you might be experiencing routine fatigue:
You feel like you’re in a rut
Routine can be the enemy of creativity. It’s hard to think outside the box when the mind doesn’t get the stimulation it needs.
You wake up unexcited
Sure, we don’t all need to be Pollyannas, but it’s good to wake up with a sense of purpose and energy. When we’re mired in routines without a break, life can get monotonous, leading to feelings of boredom and frustration.
Unusual relationship woes
If your family or friends hint that they find you overly argumentative and nitpicking (even more so than usual), it may be a sign of staleness. In such cases, a temporary change of scenery in the form of a break from our regular routines can help.
How to Break Free from Routine Fatigue
The way out of the overwhelm and the tedium is to find something rejuvenating to do. As Anne Lamott says so eloquently,
Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.
Here are some ways to break the cycle of monotony and bring some pep back into our lives:
Travel
Moving to Bali may not be an option for most of us, but getting away, even if for just a weekend, can be rejuvenating. The vacation glow isn’t just on the outside.
Try something new
Pick an activity you’ve never done before. It could be anything from learning a new language, trying a new sport, or picking up a new hobby. The key is to step out of your comfort zone and embrace the unknown.
Take a digital detox
I can't say enough about the power of spending a day without a phone, computer, or TV. Unplugging and disconnecting from digital devices and instead taking a walk or engaging in face-to-face conversations can be incredibly rejuvenating.
Volunteer and Give back
Focusing on others instead of ourselves is the best cure for boredom, and volunteering is a fantastic way to break free from routine fatigue. Not only do we meet new people and experience new environments, but giving back also helps us find fulfillment and purpose.
Unplugging from daily demands is what my (and all of our) soul needs now and then: to feel hopeful instead of weighed down and to imagine possibilities rather than responsibilities. So, take the time to break free from routine fatigue. You can thank me later.
Beware the barrenness of a busy life. Socrates