We have to eat less and exercise more. We have to buy new clothes and throw the old ones away. We have to make career plans and become vegan. Gary Vaynerchuk tells us that, unless we are being locked out of Instagram every day for sending too many direct messages asking for opportunities, we are not trying hard enough. And so we pencil that into our hectic routines, perhaps just after breakfast, or maybe slightly before.
Neil Patel tells us that, unless we are writing fifteen articles per week about the most innocuous thing in our niche, our businesses will die. And so we add that to our routine as well, either just before bed or occasionally while eating our lunch. Our therapist tells us that, unless we chill out and learn to relax, we will succumb to the meaninglessness of it all. And so we set aside eight minutes in which to enjoy that guided meditation class on YouTube, probably when we are on the toilet.
Then we have dozens of other competing interests, bidding for time and attention. Your accountant wants that spreadsheet. Your boss wants that report. Your mum just wants you to FaceTime her every once in a while. Is that really too much to ask? For the obsessive-compulsive, life often becomes an exercise in completing things and honouring routines rather than feeling emotions and enjoying experiences.
We become besotted with the means because we are petrified of the ends. Planning things, and repeatedly executing against a brutal schedule, is our way of feigning control over life, which is fundamentally uncontrollable. A schedule is the bridge from intention to action. I get that. At times, in short bursts, prioritising tasks has helped me manage projects and achieve goals. However, if your action is motivated by appeasing other people or gaining associated approval, the intention is corrupt in the first place and it will always remain so.
In such a scenario, your schedule becomes merely a portal from one strain of discontentment to another. Moreover, by living in accordance with relentless routines, we train our brains to live in fictional futures as opposed to profound presents. There is always another appointment. There is always another meeting.
Like a snooker player plotting his way around the table, we think four or five shots ahead, planning strategy and merely attempting to survive. If mindfulness is good for our mental health, anchoring us in the current moment, following a rigorous diary is - by deduction - hurtful to our psychological wellbeing because it speeds up the mind and eats away at our sense of emotional gravity.
Sure, we still need to meet people and attend events. We still need to work at certain times and do things we would not necessarily choose to do. The world is so far down the path to capitalist immolation, those baseline criteria are never likely to change. Doing things in line with overarching ecosystems of profit will always make the world go around, but we must manage our own strain and stop overloading ourselves with meaningless commitments that have minimal in common with our thoughts, values and desires.
When we fall mindlessly into the rat race, blindly chasing the next thing to the detriment of the current thing , happiness becomes but a mirage on the horizon. It can never be attained. Happiness is often a state of surprised contentment. It relies on a certain degree of spontaneity. Obsessing over routines and carefully curating every inch of your existence strangles spontaneity, diminishing the likelihood of happiness or disabling it entirely.
In this regard, setting goals ranks among the most ridiculously taxing, self-capitulatory activities we can undertake. By setting goals, be they long-term aspirations or short-term resolutions, we enter into a complex world of expectation relations.
We agonise over details that, in the wider context of humanity, are pitifully irrelevant. Then, you get started on a larger project. That order of events came about rather naturally, because--at one point--it worked really well for you. But, as you already know, things change.
And, in a perfect world, your routine should change along with them. Unfortunately, this is a trap that's all too easy to fall into. You do things day in and day out, simply because you've always done them. However, if you were to stop for a second and ask yourself, "Why am I doing this? If you can no longer see the value in what you're doing, that's typically a telltale sign that you're doing it out of habit, rather than necessity. In a similar vein, a counterproductive routine places the majority of your focus on the process-;rather than the end results.
As you might guess, that's a rather ineffective methodology. For example, if a co-worker suggests you address a project a certain way--a way that's far different from anything you've ever done before--you're resistant. Not because you think it's a bad idea, but because you're hesitant to adjust your approach. Sure, it very well could be the better way to tackle that assignment. But, it doesn't fit in with your preconceived format for your workday, so you won't even waste your time listening.
Again, your career is constantly changing. Such novel experiences help unleash your imagination by forcing the mind out of its tendency to rely on categories and take shortcuts, according to neuroscientist Gregory Berns. You might never exercise when you come home from the office because part of your daily routine involves opening the mail on the couch, which leads to putting your feet up, which leads to watching two hours of television instead of putting on your sneakers and going for a run.
Improv comedians, like jazz musicians, are often masters at this idea of breaking from routine and taking a novel approach.
The interpretive possibilities of action will be smaller. You have to have a mindset that says yes to the possibility that something new and interesting and creative can emerge. Certainly, routine has its benefits—it keeps us on task, eliminates distractions, and gives rhythm to a hectic life.
But take time to drop your routine and embrace the unfamiliar by trying new things; the mistakes along the way may just lead to your best work yet. Click below to listen now. Many people are either working from home or faced with the prospect of an unknown period of unemployment. Those working at home may quickly discover that the constant isolation and lack of a normal schedule can be mentally taxing.
When people don't have a routine or structure to their day it can cause increased stress and anxiety, as well as overwhelming feelings, lack of concentration, and focus. A lack of structure and routine can actually exacerbate feelings of distress and make you pay more attention to the source of your problems.
One way to get out of this cycle that promotes ruminating over the source of your stress is to maintain some structure and routine throughout your day. Research has consistently shown that routines can play an important role in mental health. One study, for example, found that routines could help people better manage stress and anxiety. Having a regular routine can help you:. Getting necessary tasks out of the way can also help you find more time for healthy behaviors like exercise and leave you more time to enjoy fun activities and hobbies.
Managing your own behaviors can help you feel more in control of the situation. Goldman recommends focusing on the things that are within your power to control. A good place to start with creating a new routine is to set wake-up and bedtimes, as well as meal and activity times. The key is to create a routine that adds structure and a sense of predictability to your day. Of course, your schedule may change somewhat depending on the day of the week, but sticking to a basic structure for when you will wake, eat, work, do activities, and sleep can help you feel less stressed out and more organized.
Structuring your day also ensures that you accomplish those basic tasks that must be done, which will leave you with the time to schedule in other things that you want or need to accomplish.
There are some things that you can make a part of your daily routine to help manage stress levels. These include:. Of course, the situation you personally are coping with can also affect how easy or hard it is to stick to a daily routine. Stay-at-home orders due to COVID have left many people with blank schedules, which can be a daunting prospect. One helpful activity is to make a list of the things that you normally do during the day.
0コメント