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Why do I always fall back into the same routine?

18 Answers
Last Updated: 06/07/2021 at 8:12am
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Andrea Tuck, LCPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

I tackle and discuss a multitude of social and emotional health issues. I have a belief that through empowerment and non-judgmental support clients' can thrive.

Top Rated Answers
Chester
March 12th, 2015 3:28pm
Routine is your comfort zone. If you're like most people, you tend to operate within this zone because it means reduced levels of stress, knowledge of what to do (or your duties and responsibilities), increased levels of familiarity, and predictability of outcomes. These are all not necessarily good or bad, depending on the situation. For example, if your routine consists of healthy eating habits, then routine is good! If routine means staying in bed and not being able to complete your responsibilities, then this isn't good. If you're trying to push past a routine, e.g. build a good habit while discarding a bad one, and you find yourself falling backwards constantly, it could be that you need to rethink your strategy or get more support. Perhaps your strategy isn't working for you, or you need to do it differently. E.g., if cramming isn't getting you the grades you want at school, perhaps you need another studying strategy, such as review sessions after each week. Perhaps you just need a supportive family member or friend to help you stay on track, like a gym buddy to get you outside for a run when you just want to sit at home and watch another episode on Netflix. Whatever it is, it's important to figure out what's holding you back, and find a specific way to fix that.
Anonymous
May 31st, 2016 5:01pm
Because this is what your used to and many people find change hard. Falling back into your routine can be a good thing but can also be a bad thing but you can change that.
MVgirl
November 14th, 2016 3:14am
Routines and comfortable. Thinking out of the box or changing our ways doesn't always feel good.....so we fall back to what we know.
Smilewhenitrains87
May 20th, 2015 6:05am
Because you get comfortable doing the same thing everyday. It becomes habitual. That's just human nature. changing it up can be difficult when you've done something the same way for so long. May I ask what is the nature of the routine and why you feel like changing it?
L1ttleBlueB1rd
June 11th, 2015 3:39am
In my experience, it's easier to fall back into the same routine (relapse) because it's what I know, it feels more comfortable in a sense because I know what to expect. The unknown is always scary, especially the unknown of recovery. "Who will I be after I recover?" "What will it be like after I recover?"
Anonymous
August 18th, 2015 12:04am
Simple. Because it's easy. It's hard to break a habit especially if it's addicting. You need to realize your actions, analyze them, and then remind yourself to do different.
Anonymous
August 24th, 2015 6:15am
I become afraid of change and new things. The same routine is something that I feel comfortable with because I'm used to it. This is why it's so easy to fall back into it.
Anonymous
January 18th, 2016 6:31pm
Just boredness but dont get depressed try something new like painting or exercise anything you really lik
Taylorl
February 1st, 2016 2:09pm
New goals do not deliver new results, changing our lifestyle does. Lifestyles are not an outcome, they are a process. We must focus on building better rituals, not chasing better results.
grayWolf19
February 7th, 2015 12:10am
Routine makes us feel safe, that is why we tend to subconsciously stick to it. To break out of routine, we need to recognize that we need a change
Anonymous
September 20th, 2016 11:52pm
Routines are hard to change and they usually are the result of habits. If you change your habits your routine will change as well.
Anonymous
April 26th, 2015 4:32pm
I'm not sure, really. It just happens. Why? I don't know. It feels safe, maybe. Maybe wallowing in self pity is just my way of coping with things. It takes accountability away from me. It makes it not -my- fault, but my depressions'.
hopefulBraid26
April 4th, 2017 5:38pm
Sometimes falling back into the same routine means that you're not ready to either move on, or start new. You need to have some closure withing whatever it is that you're doing or whoever you're trying to get over.
Anonymous
July 2nd, 2018 7:04am
Lazy to change. Comfort zone provides certainty. Did not take step to walk out of comfort zone or learn new things
peacefulmelissa
July 2nd, 2018 6:15pm
Probably because you know that routine, it is something you know that works. It is safe. Changing your routine can cause some stress. It is important to take one step at a time. First make a tiny change, then an another and so on.
Anonymous
July 16th, 2018 4:51am
Maybe because you are keeping yourself from moving on to things , being stuck is like a boulder is in the way .. you need to move it
Allears247
July 24th, 2018 3:45pm
It's natural to revert back to a routine that you are accustom to. Change is hard and some are more adaptable than others.
Anonymous
June 7th, 2021 8:12am
We all have felt this way at least once in our lives. Sometimes this happens because we are procrastinating as we are afraid to do a particular task. This fear makes us avoid the task as long as possible. Hence, we should condition our brain to make us like that task. This can be done by trying to figure out why we are afraid in the first place. For example, if a child does not want to go to school then instead of blaming them we should find out if they are facing any problem at school that is making them hate school.