Living a structured life lets you get in a groove so you can be productive. Sometimes though, routines can become boring and uninspiring. Have you found that going to work, cleaning the house, working out, and preparing meals etc. on a daily basis is putting you on autopilot? Numbing you? And you’re not really enjoying the moments? If so, we think it just might be time for you to break the routine and mix things up. The experts at Clarity Clinic share some reasons why breaking up with your routine might just be what gives your heart some joy…

Routines and Schedules

Many people like to have schedules and enjoy keeping to that schedule. Without a doubt, schedules have many benefits too. They keep us on a set path and help avoid confusion and chaos. Schedules can also alleviate anxiety and allow you to get more done in a day. In short, schedules and routines can help improve well-being and productivity. You may think that having a consistent routine or schedule is the only way to go and that those without one are lost and unproductive. While having a schedule is beneficial, there are plenty of people who live productive lives without adhering to a schedule, or who use a loose schedule and change up their routine. There are also benefits to this strategy, to having a loose schedule and altering your routine from time to time.

Routine does not allow us to progress.

What Does Mixing Up Your Routine Mean?

Before exploring the benefits of changing or mixing up your routine, we first need to understand what it means to change it up…

When you change your routine you divert from the norm and incorporate something different into your day that you typically wouldn’t. This doesn’t mean that you will completely throw your schedule out and not use a schedule altogether. As said before, schedules and routines can have great benefits and can be used to your advantage. However, it can be liberating to break the routine and go with the flow from time to time. Even try something you wouldn’t usually, like a morning swim instead of your routine caffeine.

Benefits of Changing Up the Routine

There are several benefits of breaking up with your routine. Some of these benefits include:

• experiencing more excitement in life,
• encounter new and novel experiences, and
• possibly preventing burnout

All of these benefits may have an impact on your brain functioning and help improve your cognitive abilities.

Increased Enjoyment in Life

When creating your schedule it is easy to get set into a pattern and not deviate from that pattern. In fact, this is one of the benefits of having a schedule: that your day can become predictable and help alleviate stress and anxiety from not knowing what is coming next.

However, this could end up being a drawback as well. It could be a drawback in that you may end up feeling like a robot, just going through life doing the same thing over and over again. A schedule doesn’t always allow for freedom to do other things, like things you may enjoy in life. Breaking from a routine, therefore, allows you to do things apart from what on your schedule.

For example, if you have meetings and work booked all day every day, then you probably aren’t getting much enjoyment from this schedule. Changing up the routine and incorporating something fun brings enjoyment and happiness to your day. This happiness can improve brain function as it allows one to get a break from the monotony and experience enjoyment. This makes good sense, yet so many of us don’t make room for the fun stuff! And then wonder why stress levels and depression are on the rise!

Enjoying New Experiences

A schedule often has things that are done over and over again. There is typically an element of repetition that is experienced in schedules (which is why we also call it a routine – and it becomes… very routine). How often do you schedule things that they have been done previously, such as a meeting or different elements of work. You may schedule other things as well which may be fun and healthy, such as workouts or spending time with friends, but typically these things are the same over and over again. Would you be surprised to hear that on average, 80% of what you did today you did yesterday and likely to do again tomorrow?

When you break from your routine, you may be more likely to do something different and new. These new experiences can help you gain clarity and improve brain functioning by getting you out of the habit of doing the same thing repeatedly. How often do you hear people say it’s only when they step away from the routine that things became clear.

Preventing Burnout

Finally, another benefit to changing up your routine is preventing burnout. Burnout often occurs when someone does the same thing over and over and gets tired of the experience. They may feel down and start losing interest in what they are doing. Although they may be performing well, they may not feel valued or that their work is worthwhile. Sound familiar?

By breaking from a routine and changing up your schedule, you’ll experience less burnout and have a more positive experience in your day-to-day life. When people are burnt out they often do not function as well, they are often exhausted and have reduced cognitive capacity. By simply changing your routine, you avoid exhaustion and improve brain functioning.

About Clarity Clinic

Clarity Clinic take a holistic approach to mental health treatment. They are redefining mental health care through a leading network of mental health providers, who thoughtfully guide the whole person on their journey to find clarity and mental wellness by providing exceptional psychiatry and therapy care.