Written by Shanelle Franklin

I’m writing this piece while in the bath with a couple of fun-sized Snickers bars and a gin. My laptop is resting on the bath caddy, and in my bid to do something “different”, I’m terrified it will come back to haunt me if my laptop falls in. I needed to inject spontaneity into my routine, even though it was random and risky.

I keep my head in check and organised by working best when I have a routine, whether it be at the gym, getting my kids ready for school, or having certain dinners each week.  I now feel so ‘in check’ that I’ve realised my routine vs spontaneity is grossly out of whack.

We spend so much time routinely living our lives that we forget to snatch the present moment and live. It’s normal to forget to step out of our routines from time to time, and many of us fall victim to the daily grind of rinse and repeat. We need to realise that our human needs are not being met before our routines take us too far.

When you’re in a routine, you feel safe simply because your brain doesn’t like uncertainty. If our brain can predict what our next move is, we are content. “Surely being content is a good thing?” some may say. Sure, but at the risk of unintentionally closing ourselves off to spontaneity and the bait that curiosity is throwing our way, being content is far too beige.

Purely for your amusement, pick one thing that’s in your routine and change it up today.  Can you walk to work or even take a different route, leave your phone in your pocket during your lunch break, and consciously decide not to pick it up? Serve breakfast for dinner or vice versa, and possibly even eat dinner with your family underneath the table. Just for the heck of it!

Pick something utterly random, possibly even stupid, like me in the bathtub with my laptop. It is so worth the biochemical reaction that is happening in your body when you do it. Your happy hormones will steamroll through your bloodstream and set off a fireworks display of electric signals in your brain. It’s like a fiesta inside your body! So, find joy in breaking the routine.

At first, you may feel out of your comfort zone, but that’s normal. You’re not in service to your ego, and the instant you start opening yourself up to your curiosity, you’ll discover a pleasant surprise.

Try to relax the importance you place on your routine by stretching yourself and not just playing it safe. Pure enjoyment for enjoyment’s sake is one of the best health investments you can ever make. Make notes of fun things you may like to try because often when you’re trying to think of something to do, your mind goes blank! Routines will indeed be your friend when it comes to keeping up with your doom lists, and I say doom lists, much like doom scrolling, it never ends.

Permission to drop the balls you’ve been juggling and let them fall where they may, seize that moment to be playful and let off some steam. That damn routine will be waiting with bated breath for your return, just be conscious to step out of it because experiencing things, makes us thrive.