The short answer here is: Yes. Having worked in professional sports, the idea of having specific routines or being “routine-oriented” is a familiar concept (I also consider myself to be extremely routine-oriented). For the most part, having routines can keep you focused and on-task. So many people on social media, podcasts, blogs, etc. all talk about the benefits of having routines (and again, for the most part they are right). However, my opinion has always been that being too focused on your routines can be detrimental (and also differentiating between what is a “routine” and simply a “superstition” plays an important role here as well).

When Routines Help

Although I don’t think it’s necessary to spend much time on this one (as most people have an idea of why routines can be helpful), there are two specific routines that I want to hit on: Morning Routines and Pre-Bed Routines.

Prior to my first medical event in November, I would set out to dominate the morning. The second my foot hit the floor I was hellbent on being productive. I would drink a bottle of water, practice Spanish for 20-45 minutes, do all the standard hygiene stuff (while listening to a podcast of course), and be out the door ready to either train or work. I loved to train in the morning and get a head start on my day (and if needed I would give up an hour of sleep to get my training in 9 out of 10 times). However, after my event in November, I was told I could not train until we had further answers. This (eventually) threw my world out of whack. I was losing energy and motivation. The December cold hit and the combination of seasonal depression, lack of training, anxiety about the lack of answers I had, and overall just feeling sorry for myself started dominating me. I became a different person. I not only didn’t attack the morning, I didn’t even want to get out of bed. Admittedly, I spent a lot of nights hoping and praying to not wake up the next morning, knowing that I would have to struggle through another day (Thankfully, if you’ve been reading my other content, you know that I have found ways to help dig myself out of the hole I was in. If you have not read some of it I would strongly encourage you to, especially if you are struggling with your mental health).

I started seeing a therapist, and her recommendation was to get back to “Winning the morning”. It’s a cliché in the “routines” world, but it made an enormous difference for me to get back to starting each day on a strong note. I still have days that I struggle, but usually if I can get myself through the morning funk by being productive I can build good momentum for the remainder of the day. The one key she told me was to make it enjoyable and not to make it feel like a job. Going to bed having something to look forward to the next morning has really helped me.

This leads me to the “Pre-Bed Routine”. The keys to success for me have been to go to bed feeling relaxed and to get any anxious thoughts I’m having out of my head. You can do this with breathing techniques, light exercise, reading, or writing. Once the lights are out and your head hits the pillow you should have really tried to be in a peaceful place (trust me I know that is easier said than done at times).

Key points here:

-Dominate the morning with activities that you enjoy and look forward to when you go to bed the night before. The more you enjoy it the more likely you are to continue doing it

-Pre-bed routines should focus on putting you in a good headspace and providing an overall sense of calm and relaxation

-Avoid having your routines feel like “jobs”. Have a rough outline of what you like to do, but don’t make it so rigid that you feel lost without following every step

 When Routines Hurt

After my therapist and I discussed ways to “Win the morning”, I started thriving again. I had good energy and was excited for my days. I was in a better overall mood and started using some of the skills I was learning in my everyday life. I was feeling like me again. But then something happened. My morning routine started feeling mundane. I felt like I HAD to do all the things on my list or it would set me up for failure later in the day. If I didn’t have sufficient time to complete all my tasks I wasn’t sure if I should wake up earlier and lose sleep (something that I was struggling with at the time). But if I didn’t get up earlier and missed activities I felt immediately out of whack. This is when routines hurt you: when you can’t function without them.

My therapist recommended two things: first, switch up the routine just a bit. Find something new that I enjoyed doing to re-spark my excitement for the mornings. Second, purposely schedule days where I would throw the routine off to prove to myself that I could still function just fine without it. I did both and they both worked. The first one was easy – I would add in some writing in the morning or go for a walk with Kerrin or eat something new (my newest addition has been three minutes of “Positive Thinking” – this one will most likely stay in the permanent routine). The second one was much more difficult. I would schedule breakfasts with friends where I would have to miss out on certain activities and be in anxiety-provoking situations. Admittedly it would suck in the moment. But the long-term benefits outweighed the short-term difficulties. This is a really good way to find out the “must-haves” of your routine and what is simply “fluff” that you think you need to do but actually don’t. I would essentially view it as having a “Routine A” that is your perfect scenario when you have an optimal amount of time to complete it, and a “Routine B” which is the absolute necessities when you are crunched for time (This is a concept I try to tell athletes as well – if you have a game at 7:00pm you have much more time to complete “Routine A” without rushing yourself. If you have a 10:30am game you simply don’t have the same amount of time available to you and you must work with “Routine B”). Finding success with your Routine B can even help you to eliminate certain aspects of Routine A to give you more time to either try new activities or be free to use your time elsewhere.

Key points here:

-A routine can be harmful to you if you feel like you cannot perform your everyday tasks without it

-Having multiple routines can help you to work around time restraints in specific situations

-Purposely throwing off your routine (within the appropriate context) can help you to sift through what is actually beneficial in your routine and what is not

A Quick Note on Superstitions

Athletes are notoriously superstitious. I used to HAVE to put my right skate on before my left when getting dressed for a hockey game. I have seen guys get dressed a certain way, spray a certain amount of cologne before a game, tie their laces a certain way, etc. Although these may feel like a “routine”, they are not. And although it feels like you will ultimately fail if you don’t put your right skate on before your left, it will have zero affect on your performance. It is incredibly hard to break ourselves of these superstitions, but finding ways to do so can be incredibly freeing and rewarding long-term.

Conclusion

Routines can be extremely valuable in keeping your life and performance on-track. However, allowing them to run your life has obvious detrimental effects. Try new things, purposely challenge yourself by throwing off your routine from time-to-time, keep what works, and discard what doesn’t. Hopefully this was a valuable article for you, and you can apply some (or all) of the concepts discussed into your life to help improve the quality of your routines!