As I’m walking to work (instead of cycling, which I normally do, in an effort to slow down the mind somewhat) I was thinking of what other things I could do to try and break the routine of a workday. What are other people doing?
Much of this slots into time outside work rather than the workday itself.
- walk a different route to a destination
- pick an algorithm and walk with no destination (eg: straight until you hit a light not in your favor, then turn. Works in urban envs)
- go somewhere you don’t normally go. Eg: library, different coffee shop, that little art store you always see
- go to the library. Walk along the shelf with eyes closed and pick a book at random.
- pick a genre of music you never listen to. Listen to it.
- cook or prepare a meal unlike your normal fare
- go to a thrift store. Buy a cheap article of clothing you wouldn’t normally wear. Wear it. See how it feels
- find free or cheap art (music, theater, whatever) in your area. Go.
- journal. Spend a few minutes writing down your day’s details
- hit wikipedia’s random article button. Read it.
Man alive I wish I had a daily routine. You all don’t appreciate what you’ve got.
There are multiple meanings of “routine”. From your description I see you want to add variety.
To spice things up, I usually get a coffee from the shops. When that gets boring, I go to a different shop or at a different time. There are dry erase dice that one can write actions on the different faces of.
For those looking to break a habit, I usually do it by adding something, nearly anything early in the day. No reason to get a coffee at the shop if I am holding a coffee from home.
When I lived within walking distance of my work, I used to try to take a slightly different route every day. Not by a lot, just a different side street here or there. You might see some cool street art or a nice flower or get to meet a friendly dog or cat.
Wait why would you want to break your daily routine? I’m currently struggling to get into one.
Breaking monotony helps me keep my day interesting haha
I try to avoid breaking the routine. Today, my morning was different from normal, and as a result, I forgot to take my lunch with me. Good job!
As long as I put my phone and keys in the same place every day, I will always find them easily. As soon as I break that routine, they just disappear mysteriously.
Bonus is now you can choose whatever you want for lunch!
