3 Reasons Your Routines Are Stressing You Out

Having routines is an important part of being productive and getting closer to your goals. They can help you get there more quickly and efficiently. Routines are helpful when you need to do a series of tasks, repetitively, on a regular basis. They allow you to do those things without much thought.

But what if your routines are stressing you out? Seems counter intuitive, doesn't it? Aren't routines supposed to bring more structure, creating a kind of mindless process that helps you accomplish certain tasks? Aren't they suppose to create peace of mind?

In theory, yes, they are. But there are a number of reasons why your routines might not be creating peace of mind for you.

1) Your routine is too complicated

In my experience, if your routine is too complicated, you aren't going to want to do it. Plain and simple. Creating a detailed and extensive system might be exciting at first. You do it a few times and you actually get things done. It's great!

But it's not long until you find yourself not wanting to do it anymore because it's just too complex and requires too much "brain power". So either you stop all-together or your routine becomes more random and disorganized.

Consider revising your routine and simplifying it. Keeping things clear and easy to do will make it much more doable.

2) Too many items are included in your routine

If you have too many things included as part of your system, it might just be too much for you and you won't want to do it. Depending on their nature, some routines might involve many steps, but keeping things streamlined should be your goal.

If your system has too many things on it, you might find yourself avoiding it simply because you don't have the time. In this case, you might consider breaking things up into smaller routines and creating much more manageable systems for yourself.

3) Your routine takes too long

Yes, your entire day could be considered a routine and that might be just what you need. But some routines, like a cleaning routine for example, might be better if it was shorter. You can break it up into smaller chunks, making things easier on yourself.

Reducing the stress caused by your routines

If any of these are true for you, consider these simple suggestions to help reduce "routine stress".

1) Remove things in your routine that don't serve you anymore.

2) Take specific items within your routine and simplify them.

3) Break up the cycle into smaller and easier systems.

I hope this has been useful for you and that you can create routines that work for you. We want our routines to simplify things in our lives, certainly not complicate them! So take your time in choosing steps that work for you and your lifestyle.

What has worked for you in your routines? Send me an email at [email protected] and let me know! I'd love to hear from you.