Be careful not to take habits to the extreme, advises our columnist, Loose Women presenter and left-side-sleeper, Jane Moore.
Are you a creature of habit? If so, join the club. My favourite gas ring is on the front left of my hob; I always sit in the same chair at the head of the kitchen table; I’ve used the same perfume (Knowing by Estée Lauder) for more than 20 years and the same toothpaste (Euthymol) for even longer; I drink just one tea and one coffee (instant) a day and always sleep on the left of the bed at home or, if I’m away somewhere, the side closest to the loo.
These, according to a recent survey, are just some of the habits we’re happy to admit to. Best not to dwell on those we are reluctant to reveal.
But unlike some of the 2,000 people questioned, I don’t do the same supermarket shop every week, I don’t drink from the same mug every day or eat the same sandwich at lunch, and I order a takeaway to suit my mood rather than having a favourite.
Three quarters of those surveyed believe these habits to be a very British trait and 40 per cent mitigate that they make life simpler. Fair enough. After all, these small, repetitive behaviours in everyday life are pretty normal and perhaps their appeal is that they’re familiar, and therefore grounding, in an often unpredictable world.
Packing your favourite teabags to take on holiday might be considered another of them, wearing your “lucky bra” to an interview, or, in my case, feeling unsettled when you can’t get the parking space right outside your house. I have been known to venture out in my PJs to move my car if the space becomes free.
Mostly, they’re harmless preferences that, if absolutely necessary, we can take or leave for a few days. But when habits become rigidly ritualistic, there’s a danger that they add stress to your life rather than ease it.
I’m not talking about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which is a mental health condition requiring expert help; I’m simply referring to those preferences that start small and sometimes mushroom into something that controls your life, rather than making it simpler.
Type “daily habits” into Google and there’s mountains of advice on what are supposedly “good” routines we should be doing daily. Most are life-affirming and easy, such as “smile”, “read”, “surround yourself with positive people”, “detox from social media” etc. But quite a few advocate that we should “exercise daily”.
This can take many forms and if a dog walk or simply climbing up and down stairs will do, then I’m all for
