Introduce routine in everyday life - more structure in your life

We've always done it that way - this saying gives you the creeps. Good habits create order - that sounds a bit better. What is it with routines? Some seem boring, others seem to make sense. But you don't want to get too constrained. Creativity needs a certain disorder. Automatisms only get in the way. Is that really the case? In fact, routines bring more structure into your everyday life - and that can be quite practical.

Meaning: What is a routine?

What is the exact meaning of routine? The Definition refers to multiple repetitions that make a certain action a habit. Together with the experience gained, the activity can be performed swiftly and safely. This is also indicated by the French origin of the word: Routine literally means "path experience".

In many situations, routines are helpful. But sometimes they can also get in the way of further development. This becomes apparent in difficult phases, for example in the event of a personal loss or failure. But long ingrained Habits are not so easy to discard.

Nevertheless, people can break out of previous routines, change them or train new ones. That's good to know if you're working on your personal development or want to realize a firm resolution.

How do routines develop?

You don't develop a routine overnight. You can see that when you take a close look at how a habit is formed. Several elements come together:

• A trigger - a call, the alarm clock ringing or an order - gets things started.
• The trigger is followed by an action - you stand up or reply to a message.
• After successful action comes the reward, which is at the same time the Motivation for the action. This reward can be, for example, a punctual appearance or a thank you.
• After a few repetitions of this cycle comes the routine.

Developing routines: bringing structure to everyday life

Sometimes you find it hard to structure your days. But with the right triggers and rewards, you can develop your own routines.

It starts with a morning routine that fits your personality. Are you an early riser or more of a night owl? You may find that a positive Mantra in the morning.

When you are motivated, it is easier for you to create routines. This means that you should know your own goals. What do you want to achieve and for what reason do you want to change your Change habits? What are your good intentions?

Many people plan to live healthier and be more hardworking. With the Stop smoking, do more sports - it is definitely useful to write down your motives.

You need a trigger that matches your intended routine. You define this trigger yourself. You want to do fitness training regularly? Then don't sit on the couch after work or set your alarm: When it rings, grab your gym bag and head to the studio. You don't want to sit in front of the TV every night, but learn a foreign language? Then make yourself a Weekly schedule and enter your learning hours.

When you bring more structure into your everyday life in this way, you create routines. That means you don't have to think about what you're doing every time. It's become a habit - you automatically go to the gym or pick up a Spanish book.

Advantages and disadvantages of routines

Sure, there are good and bad routines. The problem is that even originally good habits get a negative touch after a certain time. That depends on the habits themselves and also on your personal development.

Routines in your professional life give you security. Routines Workflows ensure consistent quality. In some professions, every single move has to be perfect, for example for doctors and paramedics. A routine approach avoids chaos and builds trust. This is an important point, especially for newcomers to the profession. With the necessary routine, the challenges are no longer so great, so the stress level drops.

A brief overview of the advantages of routines:

• A daily structure gives you a good foothold.
• You're more organized.
• When fewer decisions are needed, you save time and energy.
• Uniform results are guaranteed.
• You feel safer.

However, routine processes also have some disadvantages:

• Ingrained and predictable processes become tiring in the long run.
• Due to lack of concentration, carelessness is more likely to occur.
• The risk of one-sided loads increases.
• When unexpected changes occur, there is a lack of flexibility and responsiveness.

Good and bad routines

Every day, the same thing: You get up, get ready in the bathroom, get dressed, drink a coffee, drive to work without thinking about it. Everything is automated: At first glance, this seems boring, but it increases your efficiency and doesn't stress you out unnecessarily.

So routines are good for more structure in everyday life. But bad habits can also creep in. An occasional beer at the end of the day is still a conscious decision, but if you do it regularly, it becomes a habit. This is not so easy to break. A bad routine may become an obstacle.

A few examples of bad habits:

• Spending the end of the day with a beer in front of the TV.
• Snacking on unhealthy sweets when stressed.
• Look at the smartphone with every sound.
• If the sky is cloudy, skip the round in the park.

In turn, some good routines follow:

• Refer to the to-do lists every morning.
• Include a workout session after each workday.
• Learn a foreign language once or twice a week.
• Read for half an hour every evening.

5 steps to create a meaningful routine

How can you integrate a meaningful routine into your life? Research shows that it takes six to eight weeks to establish a habit. Sometimes this is difficult, because your inner swine likes to get in your way. But with the following 5 tips, you can succeed.

1. Take time to plan. Make a weekly schedule and set the times when you will work out or study for an exam.
2. Stay realistic with your goals. If you try to change too much at once, the first setbacks will come soon. Maybe you don't like rich food in the morning: In that case, don't set out to start the day with breakfast. Leave yourself enough free time, otherwise the sport is no fun. Small changes are also a positive development.
3. Replace old, negative patterns of behavior with new ones. If you want to break a bad habit, you need something to fill the void. That means, for example: Read a book instead of turning on your gaming PC. Take a sugar free Chewing gum instead of candy.
4. Focus on joint actions. Maybe your colleagues will be interested in fitness training. If you want to quit smoking, you can join a support group.
5. Don't be too hard on yourself. If your planned routine doesn't work out the way you thought it would: don't give up, but adjust it to your Needs on. Then you just exercise a little less or treat yourself to a TV evening with chips and beer twice a week.

10 strategies for developing routines

Creating good habits - it sounds simple, but you need to Patience. The following strategies will get you on the right track. The Tips are a good guide - so you can approach your days in a relaxed way and don't stress yourself unnecessarily. Take your time, because it takes a while to create new routines.

1. Stay focused on one thing and practice this new routine. Only when it's second nature do you move on to the next resolution.
2. Start small, don't set your goals too high. For example, if you want to get up earlier, don't set your alarm an hour earlier, just 10 minutes. Or start with small workouts when you're working on your fitness.
3. Make it easy for yourself. Get your sports gear ready, prepare for the next day in the evening - then it's easier to overcome your inner pig.
4. Use old habits and improve or change them. Like to have a beer after work? Get a different drink instead. Make a quick coffee every morning? Have a yogurt or cereal with it, and you'll have a small breakfast to fuel you for the day.
5. Stick to your self-defined times. However, you can leave yourself a little leeway. For example, plan to start work between 8 and 8:30 am.
6. Stay true to your new routine for at least three weeks so that it really becomes a habit. After that, you'll be a big step ahead. You'll know because you won't think about it anymore.
7. Don't be too hard on yourself - mistakes are allowed. If you miss a routine you just learned, it's no problem. Sit out for the day and continue tomorrow.
8. Write down what you do every day - that's how you find out more about your habits. The coffee in the morning, the way to work, the tablets in the evening, all these are processes that repeat themselves every day. Your list will show you where you can become more routine.
9. Set a specific goal. Do you want to become more productive? Increase your fitness, live healthier? Once you know that, you won't let your bastard stop you.
10. Check your changes - is the new routine working? Once a week, check to see if you're making progress. You may need to make an adjustment: write down your thoughts on this to keep track.

Conclusion: Develop routines for more structure in life

Your life is going on and you can't get anywhere? The Personality test from Greator makes you aware of where you're lacking. It's clear: You need more routines. When you learn to structure your everyday life, you automatically make better progress. Over time, you'll get used to your new, positive attitude. This will not only help you in your professional life, but also in your private life. Use your new routines and enjoy the good times.