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Charging, shower, breakfast, road to work. Working day. Checking the lessons with the child, cooking, TV series before bed. And so, if not every day, then five days a week for sure. Such a life can be exhausting, or it can pacify. What does it depend on?
Groundhog Day is celebrated on February XNUMX in North America: it is believed that by the behavior of this animal you can guess what spring will be like. The film of the same name with Bill Murray has become a classic of world cinema, and its title plays the role of a synonym for a monotonous life in which days are similar to one another. It was today that we decided to talk about the fact that such an existence actually carries diversity.
When «life on repeat» is exhausting
Doing the same tasks over and over can be boring. So boring that all days merge into one, and you start asking yourself: “So, what do we have today? Monday? Wednesday?» The answer to this question does not matter — there is not much difference between the days of the week. This can make you sad.
Where is that rich, varied life that you once dreamed of? It all ended in a «quagmire», into which they were so afraid to fall.
And when — inspiring
Yes, Wednesday may not be different from Monday, but there is a very specific rationale for this. For example, you exercise every day because you want to get in good physical shape (or keep it). Due to the fact that you start working at about the same time, the brain gets used to certain “productive hours”.
Your routine is lined up in this way, because this particular daily routine suits you, so you have time to do what is necessary, consistently move towards the goal, and do not spend extra resources on restructuring the schedule.
Beliefs that “life is insipid without risk” and “live as you like, as long as it is not boring” are nothing more than a stereotype imposed by someone.
What is the difference?
If your schedule doesn’t work, if you feel like time is slipping through your fingers and you’re not moving forward, you’re not learning and you’re not achieving anything, then something is going wrong. You are really stuck in the most boring Groundhog Day, and something needs to be done about it.
If you understand that “repetition of the past” is bearing fruit — for example, three months ago you could not walk up to your floor without shortness of breath, and today you signed up for the first marathon in your life — then everything is in order.
And let’s not forget about the routines and rituals that help you stay in harmony with yourself. Pour yourself coffee in the same cup in the morning, watch the birds outside the window, pet your cat before bed — much more important for mental health than it might seem.
In a word, the problem is not in the routine itself, but in the fact that the routine may not meet the goals or even harm mental health.
We audit our day
Try to analyze what exactly you do every day and which of these activities just eats up time and spoils your mood, and which fills you with energy and helps you move forward. Think about whether you can refuse tasks from the first category or somehow modify them (or change your attitude towards them).
If after doing this audit you feel like you’re trapped, don’t despair: chances are, if you think about it, there are plenty of ways to make a difference. Some things can be delegated to others, others can be abandoned. Try, experiment. After all, if you’re going to be stuck in Groundhog Day, then make it a happy, interesting, and eventful day.