There are, supposedly, lots of benefits to having a morning and an evening routine. As I journey through my 30s, I feel like maybe – just maybe – my strong dislike of routine is perhaps at risk of needing to change. I can barely scroll through reels on Instagram (I said, I’m in my mid-30s) without seeing someone promoting the importance of a routine or selling products designed to help you build one. So there must be something in it, right?
I thought I’d start by finding out why a routine is important. According to the Internet, which is always reliable, having a morning and evening routine is important because it gives you a sense of being in control of your life.
Effects of Routines
- Consistency and Habit Formation: Structured routines at both ends of the day create a sense of stability and predictability, which is associated with better mental health and resilience.
- Self-Discipline and Control: Engaging in morning and evening rituals fosters a sense of agency and control over life, which correlates with higher life satisfaction and reduced stress levels.
- Link to Circadian Rhythms: Regular routines aligned with natural biological rhythms improve energy levels, focus, and overall well-being.
And y’know, that’s the exact opposite of what I’d always thought.
Maybe this is just a part of “growing up” I’ve unintentionally never done, but I’ve always thought of routine not as something that demonstrates you’re in control but as something that demonstrates you’re not. A routine is what you do because you have to go to work, because someone told you to or because – well – life demands it. But I’m coming around to the idea I was wrong.
Because in a strange way it makes sense. If I bend my brain just a little, I can see that a routine isn’t just something that’s imposed on you. A routine is about making choices about what you do, about setting boundaries and about defining non-negotiables for you to you. A routine might make you do something at 8, but it ensures you’re free at 8.30. It ensures you do what you want to do first, and other things after.
If you don’t have a routine, you’re just blowing in the wind: doing whatever needs doing, when it needs doing might feel like freedom to me, but maybe it’s actually being controlled.
I have to admit, I think I’ve changed my mind.
