Returning to work forces the brain to rebuild routines

Returning to work after a holiday is a major transition for the brain, according to Jan-Henry Stenberg, a psychologist and head of a psychiatry line at HUS, as reported by Yle. Holidays free people from many everyday routines, but work and studies require them to adjust again.

“Returning to the constraints and rules set by working life feels like quite a difficult leap for many people,” Stenberg says.

Everyday life is largely organised around routines. People wake up at a set time and usually handle tasks in a familiar order.

Routines reduce daily decisions

Routines are decisions made in advance, making everyday life easier to manage. Deciding in the evening what to wear the next morning means the choice does not have to be made while tired. Eating the same kind of breakfast can also reduce the time spent making decisions.

Someone who exercises can decide in advance which days of the week to train. This removes the need to make the decision each day or search for motivation. Similarly, a student who sets specific times for studying does not have to decide at those times whether to open a textbook or use a streaming service.

Pre-planned routines can be especially useful for people who tend to procrastinate and find it difficult to start tasks. They can also help people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder by reducing impulsive distractions that might prevent them from doing what they intended.

Returning to work is a transition for the brain

Stenberg says people use routines to prepare their minds and brains for everyday demands. During a holiday, however, many of those routines are unnecessary.

“During holidays, people do not make advance decisions in the same way. They live quite freely, guided by their feelings and creative impulses,” he says.

The brain adapts to a state suited to holiday life, and returning to work disrupts that state. People must then adjust themselves again.

“Returning to work is a major transition for the brain,” Stenberg says.

People differ in their need for routine

People vary in how much they need routines. Some prefer predictable schedules, while others are more comfortable with change and making decisions in the moment.

According to Stenberg, this depends on personality and temperament. Temperament creates an inborn basis for how much a person wants variety or advance planning.

Some people strongly seek new experiences. They may want to visit new places and meet new people. If they are also less prone to anxiety and avoiding difficulties, they may need relatively few routines.

“These people generally live according to their own wishes and feelings, and they also choose that kind of profession,” Stenberg says.

Routines are often more important to people who have little desire for new experiences and at least a moderate tendency towards anxiety. They try to anticipate negative events and avoid them.

“These people typically build more routines into their lives to protect themselves from difficulties. If someone is not particularly novelty-seeking, doing things the same way each time feels natural,” Stenberg says.

Stenberg says differences in temperament are strongly rooted in neurobiology and are therefore partly inborn, but they are also partly learned. Patterns of choice can become stronger during life. If certain situations have repeatedly caused difficulties, a person’s tendency to avoid problems may increase, and the opposite can also happen.

Too many routines can become a mental prison

At their best, routines can improve psychological wellbeing.

“When routines are purposeful, they free up energy and make it easier to start and complete tasks,” Stenberg says.

At their worst, routines can restrict a meaningful life.

“Excessive routines can be like a prison that prevents people from doing spontaneous things,” he says.

Stenberg says people may want to question their routines if they repeatedly find themselves wanting to do something spontaneous, such as spending time with friends, but feel that it is very difficult or even anxiety-inducing.

“This may indicate that a person has become too accustomed to doing things in a particular way,” he says.