Episode 56 | Is Your Routine Helping You or Holding You Back?

Episode Introduction

In this episode, Niamh Moynihan discusses the pros and cons of having a routine at work. She explores how routines can be beneficial for breaks, decision-making, and focus, but also how being too rigid can cause issues when plans change.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 The Importance of Routines in Work Life

01:12 The Benefit of Breaks

03:43 How Uniforms Reduce Decision Fatigue

04:43 Daily Focus

05:13 Finding Balance: Routines v Flexibility

Episode Summary

The Benefits of Routine

Routines can be very helpful for a workday. Niamh highlights a few areas where routine is particularly beneficial. One key area is scheduling breaks. She suggests scheduling your main break as a recurring event in your calendar to ensure you take it at the same time every day. This prevents other tasks from pushing your breaks to the bottom of the list or causing them to be skipped entirely, which is crucial for maintaining focus, creativity, and energy levels. Another benefit is having a "uniform" for work, which reduces decision fatigue and frees up mental energy. Niamh also mentions having a non-negotiable task for each day of the week, which helps to reduce the number of decisions you have to make.

The Pitfalls of Being Too Rigid

While routines are good, being too rigid can be a problem. The podcast mentions a recent blog post on hybrid working where Niamh observed that some people put their work into two distinct boxes: work for home days and work for office days. This can cause stress if the work location changes and they are unable to do their designated tasks. To combat this, she suggests mixing up where you do your work to remember that you are capable of doing it from anywhere. Additionally, changing your environment, even by just moving furniture, can shift your routine, change your energy, and provide a new perspective, especially when working on new projects or if creativity has stalled.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• Scheduling your main break as a recurring calendar event can help ensure you take it regularly.
• Having a work uniform can reduce the mental load of making decisions about what to wear.
• Assigning a non-negotiable task for each day of the week can help you focus and make fewer decisions.
• Being too rigid with your work location in a hybrid role can cause stress if your schedule changes.
• Changing your work environment can help you feel more energized and creative.

5 Key Takeaways

• Prioritize Breaks: Make sure to schedule your breaks as a recurring appointment in your calendar to prevent them from being skipped or shortened.
• Simplify Decisions: Consider creating a work "uniform" or a limited set of outfits to wear to reduce the mental effort of deciding what to wear each day.
• Establish Daily Non-Negotiables: Set one specific task to focus on for each day of the week to create structure and lessen daily decision-making.
• Embrace Flexibility: Avoid rigidly assigning certain tasks only to "home days" or "office days" to ensure you can adapt to unexpected changes in your work schedule without feeling stressed.
• Change Your Scenery: To boost creativity and energy, try changing your work environment, even if it's just rearranging furniture.

About the Host and Podcast

Welcome to The Better Workday Podcast with your host, Niamh Moynihan. Niamh is the founder of Better Workday. She will challenge you to think differently about how you manage your time, energy, attention and relationships at work to be successful while supporting your well-being.

In each episode Niamh shares new insights and practical ideas to help you create a better workday.

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