May is Mental Health Month: The power of routines!
May is mental health month and you will notice an influx of information; especially this year, given the current state of the world in association with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is critical to understand that as we experience the effects of quarantine, physical distancing and perhaps even the illness itself, it’s equally important that absorbing too much information, especially from biased sources, can result in information overload, which is a stress trigger.
In a recent online conference, a Doctor specializing in well-being pointed out that these stress triggers can affect changes in sleep patterns, detailed and/or dark dreams, irritability, fatigue, and an inability to focus – all of which are natural human responses to stress. Our normal day-to-day routines have been disrupted, and things that before were a normal part of everyday life, like grocery shopping, are now great sources of stress and anxiety.
His advice was to focus on the things we can control. This will give us a sense of calm and help stave off depression and anxiety.
The importance of routine:
A study published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology found that family routines help to moderate impulsiveness and oppositional symptoms and traits in children. This is not surprising when we understand that routines protect and help children feel safer, because they know what to expect and it is something they have control over.
Routine in adults is very similar to routine in children. Routine helps us cope with change, it helps to create healthy habits, and more importantly, it helps to reduce stress levels. When your life is organized and set in a consistent routine, you know exactly what to expect. This takes out the guessing of what is coming, alleviating the symptoms of anxiety.
The Science behind routines:
When we have established consistent daily routines, these routines become habits. For example – I wake up in the morning and I first brush my teeth. This is a part of my morning routine, and I don’t even think about doing it which frees up my mind to make other decisions. However, throughout the course of our lives, we may have established poor habits, that have made their way into our routines that are hard to break. An extreme example is waking up in the morning and having a smoke to begin the day. Therefore, it is important to establish good habits within our routine.
In the book “Power of Habit,” there is what is described as the “golden rule of habit change (see illustration above). This golden rule has influenced treatments for alcoholism, obesity and hundreds of other destructive behaviors. As described above, one needs to understand the cue that drives a certain habit to produce a certain reward. Let’s illustrate this point by using a simple example of a nail-biter.
The first step is understanding what triggers the habitual behavior – awareness training. This step is critical because most people have had these habits for so long, that they don’t even understand what causes it anymore. So, in our example, compulsive nail-biters often do this when they are bored, which would then bring about a sense of completeness. So, the cue was boredom which brought about some tension in the fingers, and the reward was a feeling of completeness of biting all the nails to relieve the tension. Therefore, they would feel a sense of accomplishment.
Based on the above, studies have proven that the “golden rule” shows that instead of changing a habit, one must keep the same cue and deliver the same reward but insert a new routine. Once again in our example above, instead of biting one’s nails, one could rub their arm to provide the physical stimulation one craves. Therefore, if you identify the cues and rewards, you can change the routine.
Missing ingredient:
Most habits can be resolved with the formula described above, but often people do have relapses. If we take alcoholics for example, they could be sober for several months, but then have an episode where all the hard work they have put into changing their routine, comes crashing down. Sometimes it’s a death in the family or losing their job. These emotional traumas can cause one to reach back into their old habits of what has worked for them in the past and rely on these to get through the difficult times.
The question is, what is the difference between these people and the alcoholics who stayed sober for the rest of their lives. Its quite simple: BELIEF.
Alcoholics who stay sober have something they believe in that is often greater than themselves. For many in the AA program, they often find GOD, or a cause that they truly believe in, ALL of the time and not just some of the time. This allows them to possess willpower to never break! Therefore, for habits to permanently change, people must BELIEVE!
Action Plan
Dr. Orma has some advice: “Sit down with a pad of paper and write out everything you do each day over the course of a week including the habits you are not proud of Then see what you can set as a normal routine, something you do at a set time each day or week. It has to work with your lifestyle. If you like to stay up late, getting up early as part of your routine may not work.”
Once you have your routine, focus on one change you want to make. Sports psychologist Dr. Jim Taylor, an expert on the power of routine for athletes in training, mentions: “It can be worthwhile to alter routines periodically to keep things fresh and stimulating.” This is another secret bonus of routines: once you’ve established one, the merest of tweaks can totally revitalize your day.
Various studies indicate that to make a new habit part of your routine, will take consistent practice of anywhere between 21 days to 40 days. So, focus on one change for about 2 months and then look to make another small change. These small wins will eventually have a domino effect in other aspects of your life without even intentionally making the decision. For example, making the small change to go to the gym, may unintionally help you in choosing better and healthier options for meals. A great unintended consequence of the decision to be more active!
Conclusion:
In these unprecedented times, our routines have been impacted which for some, have caused stress and anxiety. However, let’s use this opportunity to make small changes to our daily routine that will provide the same rewards but with better habits that we can be proud of!
Until next time,
Be well,
Coach Mumdoo
604-861-4288
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