Happy Mom Tip #47: Stick With Your Routine

As a life coach, I’m a huge proponent of personal growth, and growth usually means change. Becoming happier often means re-engineering a bad habit, or starting a healthy new routine (like exercise or meditation). But sometimes the best thing that we can do for our happiness is stick with an old routine.

Researchers believe that the brains in both humans and animals evolved to feel calmed by repetitive behavior, and that our daily rituals and habits are a primary way to manage stress. Ever notice that you always drive to work the same way, even though there are dozens of other routes? Or that you always put deodorant on right after you brush your hair? Each of us has hundreds of little habits that carry us through the day. The fast-paced world we live in can feel quite unpredictable, but our daily rituals can help us feel more in control, often without us ever realizing it.

Return to routine. What daily routine or ritual did you drop this summer that you realize now provided you with a little respite of calm? What routine do you have now that you’ll stick with?

Christine Carter, Ph.D., is a coach and the author of RAISING HAPPINESS: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents.  A sociologist at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, her goal is to help parents bring more joy into their own lives and the lives of their children.