..or do you let things happen when they will ? I'm specifically talking of everyday life...Do you for example always have meals at the same time of day...do you do chores or visit the stores on the same days/s of the week? Are your days pretty much marked out where you know what you'll be doing each hour or day of the week? Are your weekdays and weekends already planed well in advance? Do you always visit the same restaurants or cafe's when you're out and about? Do you take holidays (vacations) always in the same place ? Many people find comfort and stability in having a routine...I'm not one of them. How about you?
I am a slave to routine and get upset if something disrupts my plan, usually I have a plan B though and even C. I'm a little OCD so I don't do well being carefree and having a do what May attitude. I like structure and lists and everything going smoothly and according to plan.....it's stressful I don't necessarily go the same places, that's not an issue....it just has to be planned.
I am the opposite have no habits or routine except when away from home and I have to comply with some such as breakfast. I even forget to brush my teeth and take my blood pressure pill sometimes, so I wish I had some routine
Sort of. I like to do things in a certain order. Asleep by 9 or 10pm, awake at most any hour. Then, it's coffee first, online second. Then any chores, TV awhile, more online, naps and meals whenever. My days seem to slip by pretty fast, because it takes me longer to do things.
I'm about as far from routine as you can get. I do brush my teeth when I wake up, make coffee and breakfast (whenever that may be), and shower. But the rest of the day is a mixed bag. Half the time I hardly even know what day of the week it is, or care, because A. I'm retired and B. It rarely matter's. No worries, my 91 yr old mother calls me and we discuss what day we think it might be and come to some agreement. Or I come to the Good morning thread and SOMEbody is bound to have posted, "Good morning, it's Monday". Thanks SO.
No, Chrissy. Experts agree that people who have a set routine everyday live longer. I'm guessing less stress?
Good point Chrissy…here's a point for the other side of the coin from Best Health Magazine... “The modern world is chaotic, and many things are beyond our control,” says Dr. Sian Rawkins, head of ambulatory psychiatry at Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital. Routines at home work to create a stable foundation that makes it easier to cope with an unpredictable world. Why? If you’re not worrying about home, you have more resources—brainpower, emotional and physical energy—to deal with whatever else life may throw at you. “In families, routines have been shown to increase health and psychological well-being, as well as improve social adjustment and academic achievement for children,” says Rawkins. But it isn’t just children who benefit from routines. In a comprehensive survey, Fiese found that both rituals and routines boosted satisfaction with parenting and increased marital satisfaction for the respondents. Routines helped parents feel competent and in control, and rituals helped cement relationships so the adults felt more connected to their spouses and extended families. When routines are specifically tied to an activity that is a health booster, the benefits are even more pronounced." Read more at http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/home-and-family/the-power-of-routines#UrSHqoVAouGiG8MO.99
Yes, I agree routine is good but it's when things don't go as planned that the stress comes in to play.
I want a flexible life in terms of schedules but my husband is a stickler for the routine. Expect him to call for dinner at 7:30 in the evening and breakfast is at 7am. Lunch is exactly at high noon or sometimes a bit earlier. Sometimes it's boring but I understand my husband because he has problems with his digestive system - acid reflux is taken good care by eating on time. But when it comes to work, it is my call. I wake up before 5 am to be ready to leave for work before 5:30am. And considering that my official working period starts at 8am, some people are surprised with my early trip. That is to avoid the heavy traffic on the road.
I like a planned day, I space how long activities will take, what time to start and stop. I find that it keeps me more relaxed when I schedule my time in stead of just doing things as they come along.
We seem to have a mixture of both, or maybe what could be termed "a flexible schedule". We sometimes have to figure out what day it is, too; but the calendar on the iPad takes care of that, and the only day that is REALLY important is Thursday, the day the garbage man comes. Except (of course) on weeks where one day is a holiday, then he arrives on Friday; but Bobby usually puts the garbage out on Thursdays, just in case. Other than that, we go to the fitness center every other day, a schedule of Tuesday, Thursday , and Saturday , and skip Sunday and Monday (and Wednesdays) . We mostly each eat when we are hungry, and what we feel like eating; but sometimes, we make a regular meal together. Once or twice a month, we go to Frizzles on aTuesday (after gym), and have their $2.99 Senior Special, which consists of a cheeseburger deluxe, fries, drink, and ice cream dessert. Other than that, we just pretty much decide what we want/need to do each day, depending on how we feel, and how the weather is.