Discovering Comfort in Routine
Routines or daily habits create comfort. There is a sense of certainty when you know what and when you will perform a daily ritual. These habits are more than activities like brushing your teeth, showering, or getting ready for your day. They provide consistency.
What Is Consistency?
Consistency is how you achieve success, like practicing for a sporting event. Routine is what leads to habits that result in actions that push you to accomplish your goals.
Your day-in and day-out routines are what make you consistent. The conformity of your schedule, performing a task, or socializing with people is constant. For example, blocking out time to exercise at a particular time on certain days is a routine.
Another aspect of being consistent is being reliable. People can count on you not to contradict what you say or do and adhere to your principles, path, or beliefs. As a result, people trust what you say and what you do.
Consistency Is Difficult
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are habits. The time it takes to make something a routine is dependent on how much time you devote to practicing a routine. For example, if you want to increase your emotional and physical health through proper nutrition and exercise, you must rethink how you view food and fitness. Too often, people quit replacing unhealthy habits with healthy ones because the work necessary for change isn’t easy.
The good news is even if you quit or relapse into old habits, you can always try again. Perhaps, instead of replacing unhealthy habits with better alternatives by yourself, you enter a program that will support your efforts.
Why Do You Need Consistency?
Consistency can seem tedious and monotonous at first; it’s not. Predictability creates strength. When you follow daily routines or habits, you develop protocols that will assist you in your work. The protocols allow you to speed up the task process while also giving your mind time to wander.
Routines are efficient. They let you move quickly towards improving an aspect of your life, completing a project, or developing new goals. As a result, you don’t think about how to perform a routine task. Instead, you automatically fall into the pattern.
While you are following your routine, you can let your mind drift. Think about the last time you were exercising, listening to music, or completing a task you do every day. Do you pay attention to every detail, or do you think about other things? Often people think about upcoming events, issues from work, friends, or an obstacle blocking their path to a goal. During these times of free-thinking, you can find a new or creative solution. Consistency fosters creativity.
Benefits of Habits
Habits are what define you. When people know what to expect from you, they know you act or react the same way most of the time. Employers, family, and friends place their trust in you because they know you deliver on promises, are efficient, can improve or progress quickly in goals, and are stable. Instead, your ability to consistently achieve your goals builds your reputation.
Comfort in routine is also comfort in knowing you can do something well. Tasks can also help you set a schedule or a task list and stick to it. This allows you to preserve both physical and mental energy.
Habits to Help Your Life
Healthy habits increase your motivation, decision-making, and positive feelings about yourself. Routines can also:
- Increase your ability to make decisions. For example, when you are accustomed to a task, you can focus on making a big purchase—such as a house or car—or going back to school.
- Improve your sleep pattern. A set bedtime routine can take help you get to sleep and stay asleep. Some ways to calm your mind are:
- Putting away your electronic devices and turn off the television
- Avoid stressful situations
- Engage in light reading while avoiding heavy or controversial topics
- Practicing meditation
- Spend time with those you love. When you spend time with your loved ones, you create a connection. Setting aside time to be with them can help you relax and feel energized.
- Routine often means your time is organized, providing opportunities to enjoy hobbies or learn something new.
- Limit your options. Options are distracting. Do you lose time in the morning thinking about what you will wear? Do you find yourself trying on different outfits before deciding on one? You can plan what you will wear the night before. In broader terms, sometimes, the difficulty in making a decision isn’t about the decision itself but the clutter blocking you from making the decision. Pare down your life to include reliable, basic, compatible choices.
Routine Is Comfort
Building daily habits or routines means limiting options while creating a more profound commitment to your goals, loved ones, or job. In addition, the sense of peace and reduction of stress will help you feel motivated and be the catalyst for your success.
The foundation to your reputation and success is a healthy routine. While replacing unhealthy habits with healthy alternatives is daunting, the rewards are worth the struggle. Learning how to create and build healthy habits can take some effort. Perhaps you tried to make healthy changes but fell into old habits. Don’t be hard on yourself. Relapse is part of the change process, and you’re not alone. You can always find support with the care and understanding found at Alta Centers. Your commitment to finding comfort in routine is encouraged because we want you to follow your goals, dreams, or aspirations. Our secluded, luxury-focused center located in the Los Angeles California provides the comfort you need as you discover who you are while in therapy. Alta Centers guides you to a healthy and fun new life. Your key to success is waiting for you; call us at (888) 202-2583 to schedule an appointment.