The Sociologist's Perspective: Routines

Routines are part of our lives. We wake up in the morning, shower, eat breakfast, commute to work after battling through morning traffic, clock in, clock out, commute home after battling through afternoon traffic, eat, and then sleep. Repeat the same routine the next day... and the next... and so on.

Everybody is working for the weekend. It is catchy tune, yet so true. When you have a typical 9 to 5 job, you really are just working for the weekend because you are stuck in the same routine of having to work. The weekend is finally a break from the mundane and a chance to do something different.

People who follow work week routines are stuck in something called “Iron Cage of Bureaucracy” which are the created sanctions that keep workers in check in a modern day working society. In the "Iron Cage", workers are sanctioned to rules, regulations, and are hindered from expressing their own personal aspects or personality. Here is an example, Peter goes to work and sits in his cubical in dress code. If he is out of dress code he will be written up. If he forgets the new cover page for his TPS reports, he will get written up. If he doesn’t finish his TPS reports on time he will get written up. If he gets three write ups, he will be fired. If he wants to express his ideas and concerns about his job, he needs to take it up with Human Resources and be put on the waiting list.

Peter is not being himself at work because he is buried in TPS reports and must work in the confines of “The Iron Cage”. Peter has become impersonalized.

That’s a standard “day in the office” routine. You sit, work, meet deadlines, and so on.

Other routines such as watching "The Price is Right" every weekday at 10am central time, having to eat cookies and milk everyday at 6pm, or staying home at night because you need to be up at 5 in the morning for your daily bacon and eggs breakfast and the morning news. All these routines are considered to be the makeup of an “Iron Cage”. Even time is considered to impersonalize people.

Time helps constructs routines because it defines schedules which define what you need to be doing at a certain time. A majority of college students walk the campus with their blinders on because they need to be in a certain classroom at a certain time. Sometimes, they can’t even recall the details of how they got to the classroom because the brain simply goes into autopilot when following the same walking to class routine consistently.

This phenomena happens when the brain’s striatum takes over all sensory input functions after the brain recognizes the same routines occurring consistently. The striatum basically puts your brain in auto-pilot mode. However, when breaking a routine, the brain’s hippocampus recognizes this and begins to make your brain more active and create more memories. So which do you prefer? Being in auto-pilot mode or manual overdrive?

As a sociologist, I say this: Do not let routines dictate who you are. The only way you can truly be you and enjoy life is if you think outside the “Iron Cage” and be yourself. Don’t get stuck in the same routines because you end up trapping yourself in auto-pilot mode.

Do something different! Instead of fighting through traffic on that interstate highway as you head to work, take back roads and explore new paths to get you there. You may even get to work quicker. Spruce up your office with things that define you instead of things that define your routine. After work, go out and enjoy life. If you are too tired from work to do anything, go hit up a local coffee shop and down some espresso.

Don’t impersonalize your life. Awesome-ize it and do something fun and different.

Take ownership of your day and continue working… for the weekend.