4 Signs Your Daily Routine is Killing Your Creativity

You can have too much of a good thing

Rights purchased from iStock Photo

We all know the benefits of routines. They can help you focus, stay on track, and get stuff done. The comfort of knowing what comes next helps lower anxiety and it’s hard to argue with the benefits of a daily exercise routine for good health.

But…

When the smooth, familiar road of routine becomes a deep muddy rut, boredom can creep in. If this sounds familiar, it’s time to break out of the never-ending cycle of bland, beige sameness.

How do you know if you’re routine is killing your creativity? Look for these signs:

4 Things to Look For

• You’re stuck on autopilot: You’re so entrenched in your routine that you move through your day in a mindless fog and you’re no longer attentive to what you’re doing or how things get done. Before you know it, long hours have passed and you reach the end of your day not quite sure how you got there.
• You struggle for new ideas: Routines are comforting. You always know what to expect and that makes life less stressful. Too much comfort can block out new ideas and create resistance to new ways of doing things. If you feel like your creativity is slipping through your fingers, it’s time to shake things up.
• You’ve lost motivation: Feeling lethargic and struggling to focus are signs of boredom. Boredom turns into apathy and apathy kills motivation. If your routine drains your energy like a blood-sucking vampire, your productivity will fall off a cliff. It becomes harder to tap into creativity the more your energy ebbs away.
• You feel disconnected: When your routine is so familiar you can navigate it in your sleep, the mind gets lazy. Your brain uses the same well-worn neural pathways it always has instead of carving new ones. You engage your mind less and end up checking out, dulling your awareness of the world around you. The result: you miss out on the observations and experiences that fuel creativity. Ferris Bueller said it best:

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

If you feel like the protective bunker of routine has morphed into a prison of sameness, try something different.

4 Things to Reignite Creativity

Disengage autopilot

If you reach the end of your day with no clue how you got there and you can’t quite remember what happened during your 9 to 5, try this:

• Shuffle your routine. Divide your daily routine into manageable segments. Then switch up the order of those segments so each day becomes different from the last.
• Change how you do your tasks. Look at parts of your routine where you drop into autopilot mode. Is there a different way to do that task? Can you switch something up, add or take something away that changes the how you approach it?
• Take a break. Disrupt your routine with activity breaks. Use the time to do something creative that has nothing to do with your daily projects.

Connect to your senses

You have 5 senses that connect you with the world: Sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Use all your senses to experience the present moment and break the monotony of routine. Some ways to connect to your senses:

• Change your view. Work in a different area of your office or leave your workspace altogether for an off-site adventure.
• Spend time in nature. have a seat, close your eyes, and feel the cool breeze dancing across your skin or experience the warmth of the sun on your face. Smell the sweet aroma of the flowers in bloom around you.
• Don’t eat where you do your work, and try mindful eating. Slow down and make eating an experience. Start by smelling your food before you take a bite. Savor every morsel and delight in the subtle nuances of aroma, taste and texture as you eat.
• Engage your sense of touch. Pet your dog and feel the texture of their fur and the warmth of their skin. Notice how each key on your keyboard depresses, then springs back against your fingertips as you type. Run your hand over different surfaces and feel the contrast between things like a soft, plush blanket and the cool, solid smoothness of your desk.
• Close your eyes and listen to the sounds of life happening all around you. Hear the low hum of traffic on the street. Take in the laughter of kids playing in a nearby yard. Listen to the soft patter of rain on a window or gusts of the wind blowing outside.

Do something new every day

Trying new things doesn’t have to be scary. Start small and try bigger and bolder things as you become more adventurous. Here are some super small routine busters to try:

• Next time you’re out for coffee, order a different drink than your go-to or try it iced instead of hot.
• The next time you dine out, try a new restaurant or a cuisine that you’ve never had before.
• When you’re out for a drive, take a new route home and notice all the new things you see along the way
• Add a new dimension to your workout with a new type of exercise like strength training, cardio or stretching. Another way to shift your workout: take a different path when biking or running.

Get moving

If you’re feeling lethargic, disrupt your day with physical activity. Brisk movement releases endorphins, leaving you feeling positive and energized. Try reinvigorating your day with a quick energy booster:

• Take a brisk walk around the block
• Do 20 jumping jacks
• Go for a 10-minute run
• Warm up with an energizing yoga flow

Wrapping Up

Routines can be super helpful to improve productivity and focus, but you can have too much of a good thing. If you’re feeling stuck in your routine, try something new to change things up.

Shift out of autopilot mode, get moving and reconnect to the world around you. Examine your day-to-day routine and find opportunities to boost creativity and motivation. Reigniting your creativity will give you the edge you need to tackle your goals.