People Find It Difficult To Change Their Everyday Routine

Researchers have uncovered the top 10 things we would never change - including our hairdresser, supermarket and which side of the bed we sleep on. A poll of 2,000 adults found eight in 10 are self-proclaimed creatures of habit with many also refusing to budge when it comes to their preferred tea brand, their go-to takeaway or the football team they support. The study also found more than 40 per cent feel caught in the trap of the same everyday routine. Forty-four per cent are so fixed to their schedules that they do the same thing every weekend; waking up at the same time, taking kids to do the same activities, cleaning the house and ordering the same takeaways.

It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut, even at weekends, so that’s why it is important to start something completely new. There should always be something to take you out of your comfort zone. The reason why we get stuck in a rut is because life gets in the way, we are just so stuck in the same habit that it becomes the only thing we get to know and what we do, changes are always welcome and shaking up your routine will give purpose to the everyday things.

“Old habits die hard” can never be more true for humans. We are creatures of habit and routine. With the development of our personalities, there comes behaviors and habits that will stay with us forever. However, some of those behaviors and habits are not always useful, helpful or healthy so we must change them, otherwise they might cause difficulties in our relationships with others.

But changing a behavior or habit is not done simply or overnight. Something that has been developing for 20 or more years is very difficult to change, and it will take an equally significant amount of time to “unlearn” or change that routine. It’s simply a process and it looks more difficult than it actually is. It would be nice if we could say to ourselves: “Hey, today is the day when I am starting to change everything that is rotten in my life”. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go like that, so the question that poses a great challenge for people is “What can I change”?

The simplest routines to change are the smallest ones that mean the least to that person. For some, it might be adding orange juice to their morning breakfast or committing to going for a walk at least 3 times a week. For others, it may be to read at least two news articles in the newspaper or online all the way through. The real key to changing routines isn’t to swap out existing routines for new ones you’ll never change, but rather to challenge oneself each and every day - or at least once a week - with something a little different or new.

Change is good, change is inevitable and the only constant we have is the change. Start with the smallest, strive for the biggest. If you could walk those 3 miles to work today, you can do much more.