Routines...........by Susan

I believe that routines are good for people, especially children.  Having said that, I think breaking your routine can add some spice to your life and help to lift depression as long as you don't over do it or place too much stress on yourself or the members of your family.

My children always knew they could plan on having dinner at a certain time each evening and we all had our own "spot" at the table.  A fight would ensue if anyone dared to sit in another's "spot".   This was as important to my four children as it was to me and my six siblings when I was growing up.

In the summer it was always fun when we took our kids on a short vacation and broke our routines.  We would eat in restaurants and sometimes at odd hours of the day.  Now that our children are grown, my husband and I often eat at odd hours of the day and sometimes we skip meals (which isn't a good thing for us to do).   We enjoy eating in restaurants frequently.
When you are retired, as my husband and I are, you can easily slip into a boring routine but we have worked hard to keep that from happening to us.  Sometimes it's not easy.  We go on dates at least once a week.  We also try to stay actively interested in our children's lives, visiting them whenever possible.  I have a number of hobbies and have also started selling Avon products to keep me active.

I know that boredom can increase depression and play havoc on your relationships so breaking the routines now and then will do wonders to stay healthy and happy.  We still have our routine "spots" and no one had better sit in mine!

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  • 9/11/2007 10:45 AM David wrote:
    good article Susan,sometimes its very hard not to be routine,for some people its a real coping tool,there is much security in knowing exactly what they are going to do next.
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  • 9/11/2007 6:58 PM Susan wrote:
    Thanks David. I agree, sometimes we need the comfort and stability of those routines. Right now I am really craving my time in the recliner in front of a good tv show. That's my late evening routine and I always look forward to it.
    Reply to this

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