A routine is a sequence of activities that are repeated so often that they become a habit.

An example of a routine may be getting ready for a school day, which could be something like:

Wake up > have breakfast > clean your teeth > get dressed>organise morning tea/lunch> pack your bag > catch the bus.

One thing leads onto another – almost without you having to think; for example, when I wake up – I have breakfast. I don’t have to think about it – I just do it.

Your routine in the morning may be different to the example above, but most people would have a morning routine.

Routines can make managing your time easier. They can also reduce the stress and tension of getting things done – particularly when they’re things you would prefer to avoid.

Getting homework done could be one example of something you avoid. If you build a routine around when you do your homework, it makes it easier to get it done, it’s harder to avoid, and it reduces the mental stress you may experience in not getting it done.

An example of a routine to get your homework done may be:

Get home > have something to eat/drink > do your homework > do some enjoyable recreational activities.

This may not happen every day – perhaps only on days when you have homework to do. So, when you have homework, you follow the routine.

The more often you follow a routine, the more likely it is it will become habit.

A few things to remember when you create a routine:

• Make the routine easy to follow by creating enablers – like setting an alarm to wake up on time.
• Make small adjustments to improve your routine when required.
• Stick to your routine long enough to make it a habit – to make it stick
• If your routine is disrupted, don’t give it up. Things aren’t always going to run perfectly, but that doesn’t mean the routine isn’t worth following. Just follow the routine (with any required adjustments) the next opportunity you get.

What routines do you have?

What are the benefits of having these routines?

Okay, what are some things you must do, but you avoid doing them (you procrastinate)?

Can you create a routine that could help you to get them done without having to think too much about it?