Although routines are quite productive, repeating a particular process/processes everyday for a long time can be suffocating. It makes you feel as though you are trapped in a life of sameness and this is usually not a pretty feeling as it drives the bloom from one's cheeks and the lustre from one's eyes very quickly.
Monotony as defined by dictionary.cambridge.org is "A situation in which something stays the same and is therefore boring".
Living a "repetitive life" can have a number of effect on our psychology, which includes:
Restriction of Cognitive functioning: A change in our environment or our routine stimulates and Improves our brain while monotony does the opposite, hence reducing performance and receeding cognitive functioning.
Reduced concentration and Attention: when we do the same things in the same environment, we may become bored of it without even being aware of the boredom that we are experiencing and this boredom consequently leads to difficulties in concentration and attention.
Addiction: Excessive monotony might turn out to be an addiction and the individual might experience a high level of stress if he/she does not perform a particular process/processes. For example, smokers, or a person who becomes unconsciously addicted to a particular place of study and would not be comfortable or might not study well in another place of study.
Depression: As I stated earlier on, excessive monotony drives the bloom from one's cheeks and the lustre from one's eyes very quickly. Without anything exciting to look forward to except our monotonous daily routine, we would, most times, become depressed. This is why people diagnosed with depression are advised to force themselves to have changes in their lives instead of wallowing in their depression.
Breaking Monotony....
It's hard to not get bored and frustrated by a life where each day is the same as the last, so here's a few things you could try out if you are yearning for a change and want to break your monotonous routine:
- Travel: This is usually the first thought that pops up in my mind as a cure for monotonous life.... Hehehe. Now, nearly everyone dreams of traveling the world, but lack of time or money or both, often don't allow these dreams become a reality. Despite this, we can still have fun traveling.
Visiting a nearby location especially with friends or loved ones on a long weekend or a holiday is also a good way to relax and refresh yourself.
Be spontaneous: There's no better way to switch things up than being spontaneous as small changes can go a long way in breaking up a mudane lifestyle. Doing something different such as eating in a new restaurant, trying out a new recipe, having a sleep over at a friend's or even taking an alternative route to work would make a day seem different from the last.
Reading: Reading fiction and/or fantasy books are the quickest, cheapest and easiest way of escaping a mudane lifestyle that's your reality. What's really amazing is that they can be accessed anywhere and anytime.
Find time for your hobbies: An awesome way of breaking our mudane lifestyle is to take out time to do the things we enjoy. Hobbies not only offer a welcome break from routine but also improve our everyday emotional well-being.
Remember that nothing changes unless you make it change. So, are you tired of a monotonous lifestyle?, feel free to try out any of the tips listed above.
Thanks for reading!