From Brain to Behavior - 5 Tips to Master Your Routine and Improve Your Mental Health

Routine means safety. Our brain needs routine. Neural connections are his routine. When you repeat something enough times, a neural connection is formed, you know the recipe and you relax.

Today, perhaps due to Internet access, when we are bombarded with events, opportunities, entertainment opportunities, there may be a desire not to waste them and thus resistance to routine. This is how we can get acquainted with the phenomena of FOMO (fear of missing out) and YOLO (you only live once), which make us feel obliged to obtain something new, unique for the moments of our existence. But we should keep in mind that routinely creates structure not only in the program and in life, but also in the mind and in social interactions. Give your mental energy and time to deal with decisions and problem-solving.

In addition, because we feel that we have control over doing things our way and because we feel satisfaction in having accomplishments and doing things to the end, our routine calms us down and helps reduce stress and anxiety.

Being part of a more or less daily routine, the activities we do no longer require scheduling, organization. Thus, our worries are less and we no longer feel unprepared or confused.

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Here are the 5 most important benefits of the routine, which I see as wonderful benefits:

1. It makes us more efficient

When we know what we have to do one day, we reduce the time allotted to the decision-making process. A series of facts that follow a standard path makes things easier and easier to manage. We can also plan new things more easily, such as a walk in the middle of the day or a visit to some friend we haven't seen in a long time.

2. Create structure

The logical sequences in our lives give us a safe framework in which to function (as) as efficiently as possible. The days have a predictable pace, we know how much time to devote to an activity, we reduce chaos and create the feeling of control. When the routine becomes stressful, we most likely need to redefine it, to find a routine that better integrates our needs.

3. Lay the groundwork for healthy habits

The secret of new healthy habits lies in repetition. The personal routine of each of us leaves room for adjustment. Once we establish that a new habit can fit into our routine, it takes an average of two months for the brain to fully embrace change. Neuroplasticity is what we owe this to: do I plan to start each day with a large glass of water? After a while, I will feel the need to drink it. I changed the old routine (lack of a glass of water) with a new, more appropriate routine. It is also the mechanism that helps us get rid of bad habits: if we fall asleep too late at night, we will get more hours of sleep once we set the routine and go to bed earlier.

4. It reduces the need for mobilization and will

As pleasant as it is to know a man or woman with the will and power to mobilize, it can be just as difficult to need them both at 100% brain capacity when you have something to do. In the morning, we brush our teeth without considering it a personal victory. Because brushing our teeth has become routine. It does not consume resources, it comes naturally. It does not require special training or mobilizing speeches. We simply brush our teeth. And that leaves more time for complicated things, which really require time to think and mobilization and will to take decisions.

5. It builds self-confidence

When we create a healthy routine and follow it, it comes with more self-confidence. Obviously, getting out of the routine can also increase self-esteem (I managed to cope with a new situation, I found internal resources to adapt, I discovered the solution to a problem I have never faced). But here we are talking about spectacular bursts of self-confidence and extraordinary energy consumption. Following a routine, day by day nourishes our self-confidence and gives us inner stability that has its long-term benefits.

❤️ I am writing this article today after yesterday I have written a bit about self-sabotaging in time management on a new Hive front-end.
Not having a routine might be self-sabotage at some point, sooner or later.

Good luck mastering your routing and enjoy its benefits!

With care and respect,
@regenerette