When I started with my first job, it wasn’t an easy transition from college life to full blown five days a week corporate job. I had few of my friends join the same company, so there was some sense of continuity. However it was really difficult to keep yourself focused for 9+ hours five days a week. My friend even asked a senior colleague if he experienced the same fatigue and stress when he first joined. His only reply was that it gets better and you get used to it.

Well we did get used to it. We got accustomed to the new daily routine. Early morning cab ride to work, then work for the stipulated hours and get back home. Since we were still freshers, we got some leeway the few initial days where we could explore different office spaces and spend quite long times eating breakfast and lunch.

But soon the routine gets to you and everything which seemed new and unsurmountable starts feeling jaded and boring. That’s when a friend started to skip the cab some days and ride his bike to work. Since he stayed far away, I was quite surprised on why was he making such an effort to drive through the traffic and the sun. He mentioned that he just gets tired of the routine at times and just wants to have a change.

So even I started taking an off routine day once in a while. And it was so helpful to break the monotony of the days. Once in a while, at my later jobs I would skip the daily cab and take my bike/car. Driving through Bluru traffic was a test for all my senses, patience of course and ability to keep myself entertained. Some days I used to take the metro and walk through Cubbon park to work.

Well routines are definitely helpful in having a productive day. You dont have to spend time making insignificant decisions like when do you leave to work, which mode of transport will you take, what will you have for breakfast and all. These changes in routine became a welcome change and helped shake things up.

But on the other hand, a break from the routine is like taking a mini vacation. All your senses have to come out of auto pilot and work. It helps increase motivation and helps in generating new ideas and keeping yourself on your toes and not getting comfortable with the status quo.

So do craft your own morning, evening, night, commute routines, but just remember to break them every once in a while, to give things a slight shake up! 🙂