It’s a Monday morning, and you’re getting ready for work. You wake up, shower, and help prepare breakfast. After that, you kiss your spouse and children before leaving for work. Every day it feels like the same thing, over and over again.
Routines are activities we do that might seem boring and repetitive. Boring as they may seem, routines help us live a smoother and more organized way of life. On the downside, routines also become monotonous. Before breaking the monotony of routine, you need to understand why it’s so important.
You
Imagine life without a daily schedule and no fixed time to finish tasks. Without a routine, it might be challenging to complete tasks. At work, following a consistent routine reduces stress and helps you feel organized and in control.
Routines help you complete tasks because repetitive actions are completed quickly over time, which means free time for you. Routines also make it easier to resolve conflicts and disputes, especially within a family. If Saturday nights are board game night, no one can argue about what else to do.
The Children
Routines nurture a safe and predictable environment for children as well as reinforcing feelings of safety. They also encourage parents to spend time with children, such as when you tuck them in and read the usual bedtime story. Children will soon grow up to be independent and learn important life skills. The routine of doing chores, for example, helps children manage their time and clean the house.
Kids can also benefit from routines by maintaining good health care and practises. Brushing teeth and washing hands are simple examples of routine children should know. Bedtime routines also help children know when to sleep.
The Family
As a whole, routines give the family a smoother day-to-day experience providing organization to parents and children. Families have different sets of routines that help strengthen their relationships.
Breaking the Cycle
Breaking a routine doesn’t mean removing it entirely, but a break you deserve now and then.
The first step is to recognize what you do during routines. For example, some chores need to be done and others that can be done by others. After compiling a list, you and your spouse can switch things up. Decide on what needs to be done and plan a vacation now and then.
If routine can’t be escaped, look for the little things that can be changed. Make house activities and renovation the break you need. Ask your partner to spend the weekend giving the bathroom a makeover. In Brisbane, you could ask for some assistance from local builders so you won’t have to do it yourself. Have breakfast in bed. Let the kids stay up for one night. All this can be a change of pace from your routine.
A life with too much routine can be repetitive and make you feel like a zombie. On the other hand, a life without routines is messy and dysfunctional. You and your family need organization in life, but also a well-deserved break to continue pushing forward.
