Habits and Routines 101
Habits 101
All of the concepts I’ve covered so far (mindset, gratitude, connection, purpose, etc.) are described by a single word, and most of those words have a fairly simple definition. It was interesting to discover the many different definitions of “habit.” Without venturing into the clothing worn by a nun or an addiction, here is some of what I found:
· “A settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.”
· “The prevailing disposition or character of a person's thoughts and feelings: mental makeup.”
· “A behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition.”
· “An action considered bad that someone does repeatedly and finds it difficult to stop doing.”
· “Any action that you perform regularly as part of your routine can be called a habit.”
· “An automatic pattern of behavior in reaction to a specific situation; may be inherited or acquired through frequent repetition.”
As you can see, it’s hard to define “habit.” But I found two definitions that made sense to me, so the best way for me to define habit is to offer these quotes:
Habits involve repetition: there is no doubt about it. Repetition is one of the defining features of a habit. When we talk about habits we often talk about the mere repetition of the same when faced with a familiar situation: same thoughts-patterns, same kind of coffee we order, same breakfast we eat, same kind of movies we see on Netflix etc. Viewed as such, habits can be seen as that which makes the world familiar to us. To habituate something is to make it seem as home. It is to install a sense of sameness and belonging.
Habit works by generating an impulse to do a behavior with little or no conscious thought. Habits are a type of learning. By forming a habit, the brain frees the mind to do other things without deliberation…By definition, behaviors that require concentration, deliberation, or extended effort, are not habits.
How is a Habit Different from a Routine?
This is an important distinction to make. A habit is the impulse to engage in a behavior with little or no conscious thought, whereas a routine is a series of behaviors that are frequently repeated. Habits are a type of routine, but not all routines are habits. They differ from Habits are a type of routine, but not all routines are habits. They differ from routines in that they involve little or no conscious thought, whereas routines require at least a degree of intention and/or discipline.
I will delve into this question in more detail in an upcoming blog.
Why are Habits Important?
Habits are important because they play a role in many aspects of one’s life, including mental and physical health, productivity, relationships, and self-esteem.
Health: Your habits have an effect on whether or not you achieve your lifestyle goals, including maintaining a proper diet, getting enough sleep, staying in shape and managing medical conditions, all of which can improve your quality of live and live longer.
Productivity: Following a regular work schedule can help you function at your best and be as productive as possible.
Relationships: Healthy habits promote healthy relationships. These might include something as simple as remembering to say “I love you,” or “Thank you.”
Self-Esteem: Healthy habits that can help raise your self-esteem might include daily affirmations, doing things such as volunteering that make you feel better about yourself, or eating well to have a body you feel comfortable with.
Routine 101
You’ve already my definition of a habit in my previous blog, so now let’s focus on the definition of a routine. Here we get more uniform descriptions:
· “A sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program.”
· “A usual or fixed way of doing things.”
· “A routine is the usual series of things that you do at a particular time. A routine is also the practice of regularly doing things in a fixed order.”
· “A routine is a series of actions that you perform automatically every day.”
Having a healthy daily routine can help you reach your goal of achieving good mental and physical well-being. The decision is yours whether to exercise daily, drink enough water, get a sufficient amount of sleep, etc.
Why Routines are Important
According to the Berkeley Well-Being Institute, having a routine can be very beneficial for your well-being and ability to achieve your goals, and help you live your life to its fullest potential. A blog on its website states, “A routine can be defined as a repeated sequence of behaviors that do not require conscious effort or thought and which minimize the unpredictable variability of everyday life. In other words, a routine is a series of actions that you perform automatically every day.”
When you have a routine, you don’t have to make decisions about what you do and in what order. As the blog points out, there are great advantages to establishing a routine. Here are some of them:
A Routine Increases Predictability
Humans are creatures of habit that innately desire predictably. We often find the lack of it stressful. In fact, research has shown that predictability and perceived control help mitigate symptoms of anxiety. Developing a routine adds predictability to our lives, which in turn helps us regulate our moods and how we respond to our environment.
A Routine Helps Conserves Mental Energy
Routine is also important because it saves us mental energy, taking away the need to constantly make decisions. Research has shown that making decisions about how to start each day requires the expenditure of some of our finite mental energy resources. If you establish a routine, no conscious effort or thought is required, saving you mental energy, which is a limited resource.
A Routine Promotes Consistency and Discipline
Routines are vital for helping you engage in healthy, goal-directed behaviors. They can also help you resist temptation, such as sleeping in or indulging in one too many desserts. With a routine, decisions are already formed, improving the likelihood that you will stick with the program.