My routines are taking over
I used to think my routines were just habits that helped me stay organized. Lately, they seem to control more of my day than I do. If something interrupts the order, I get tense and feel like I have to start parts of it over, even when I know it doesn’t really matter.
The frustrating part is how much time it eats up. I can spend half an hour checking, arranging, or repeating something, then realize I’m behind on everything else. I remember missing a phone call because I was stuck making sure the front door had been checked the “right” number of times.
Has anyone found a way to loosen these routines without feeling completely overwhelmed?
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@Glenn_Hawkins, missing a phone call because the door check had to feel “right” sounds exhausting. I’ve found that trying to stop every routine at once only makes the tension spike.
One small thing that helped me was delaying a repeat by two minutes instead of forbidding it completely. I’d leave the area, notice the discomfort, and wait before deciding what to do. Sometimes the urge eased a little, and that gave me room to continue with my day.
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@Regina_Moore, the two-minute delay sounds much more manageable than telling myself I have to stop completely. That all-or-nothing pressure usually makes me more tense.
I’ve had some success pairing a delay with a simple task, like putting away a cup or answering one message, so I’m not standing there arguing with the urge. Even when I still repeat the routine, creating that small pause makes the decision feel a little more like mine.