Why a routine life can be harmful? Humans are creatures of habits. Whether we like it or not, we are conditioned to follow routine. Even though we try not to, sometimes, we just fall into the rat race of life. And before we are conscious of it, we spent years running the rat race because it is too comfortable to get out. Comfort zone is obviously comfortable, and that’s why most of the time we stay inside. While this little bubble is comfortable enough for a mediocre life, little magical miracles take place here. The magic zone is just a jump away from our comfort zone. Practical Psychology theory suggests that fear stops us from moving forward, emotions control the quality of life and human needs are the driving force on why we do what we do. We all have the same basic fears – ‘I am not enough’ and ‘I won’t be loved’. In Anthony Robbin’s Unleash the Power Within, he shared that we all have 4 primal needs (certainty, uncertainty/variety, significance and connection) and 2 spiritual needs (growth and contribution). We can fulfil these needs in either positive or negative manners, whichever that give more pleasure than pain and can be done repeatedly. While there are many ideas on how we can break routines, sometimes what we need is more than just a variation in life. Most actions fulfil a few basic needs, and some may cost a bit, the 5 suggestions below can fulfil all the needs are free or incur low expenses. 1) Spend 2 hours a week with children below 10. Parents can help looking after someone else’s child while singles can volunteer at children’s home. Spending time with children keeps us to the present moment and reminds ourselves how we perceived life when we were their age. Certainty – Regular sessions can be weekly/biweekly/monthly. Uncertainty – Unpredictable things children say and do. Significance – The child is learning something from you, whether conscious or subconscious. Connection – Emotional connection with the child, and the younger version of you. Growth – You learn something new about yourself/children after each session. Contribution – You are making a difference in someone else’s life. 2) Creative emotional expression through arts – dancing, drawing, painting, singing, writing, etc. Negative emotions should be released in healthy manner instead of bottling up and burying in the deepest part of our subconscious. They always resurface whether we like it or not. Certainty – Do it regularly, ideally at least once a week. Uncertainty – New masterpieces or dance routine form new neuron connections in your brain. Significance – Your creation can add value to this world/society/community. Connection – Connect with your audience, and also your soul. Growth – Learn something new from each masterpiece, research and song. Contribution – Someone else’s life can be inspired by your action/music/writing. 3) Implement new ideas and different variations to existing hobbies. There are many ways to spice things up – attend a different class, cook a new dish, design a unique concept, join a new club, read a new book genre, sew a challenging item, or visit a different gym. Certainty – It is useful to take up a hobby which can be done on a regular basis. Uncertainty – Changes to existing hobbies provide a new challenge. Significance – After a certain level, you may become an ‘expert’ in your hobby. Connection – Emotional and mental connection with others who share similar interests. Growth – Continuous learning and getting better at it. Contribution – Hobby can add value to both your life and those you share them with. 4) Change exercise regime regularly. It is necessary to exercise different muscles regularly for overall fitness. For people with no exercise preferences, taking up different sports and doing a variation of exercises are more interesting than doing the same thing over and over. Certainty – Should be done at least once a week. Uncertainty – Change the exercise type once/twice/thrice a year or monthly. Significance – Ability to progress to higher and more challenging levels over time. Connection – Interaction with instructors/friends/classmates. Growth – Gain better understanding of physical limits and increase flexibility and agility. Contribution – Can provide assistance to those new to this exercise. 5) Learn one new idea daily and try one new experience weekly. New experiences form new neuron connections in our brain. Many of us found childhood or university experiences being the ‘best time of our lives’, because those times fulfil our basic human needs. Certainty – Read quality online articles daily and trying something new every week. Uncertainty – Since it is new, there is no pre-conceived conditioning in your mind. Significance – This new information/experience will add to your life experiences. Connection – Connect with those you share the experiences with and the articles’ writers. Growth – Learn and process new information and experiences to better your overall life. Contribution – This new information/experience may allow us to better someone else’s life. Although we all have similar human needs, we have a variation on how much which needs and fears we have. For one, the spiritual needs may be greater than the primal needs, and for another there might be a greater need for variety than significance. No matter how exciting school or work life is, there will be regular daily routine. When we do similar things day in day out, we can lose the perception of time. For example, interesting things that happened months ago may feel more recent than they actually are. Routine is important in many aspects (e.g. brush teeth daily). While there is no need to live differently every day, small changes can create big results. Perhaps future research may confirm that forming new neural connections regularly can reduce neurodegenerative diseases. Wanderlust is a recent word that resonate with those who love travelling. We all need a balance of stability at home and variation travelling gives us. While the reasons on why we travel varies, we need to get out of the routine life for an adventure that is unique to us. When things become routine, we move through life on autopilot mode. In worst cases, we become narrow minded and unable to see new opportunities. Boring routine over time makes it harder to get out of the box! It is better to look back and say that ‘I did…” than “If only I did…”.
Posted on: Sun, 22 Jun 2014 15:43:32 +0000
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