What Happens When You Mess Up a Mindless Routine?

I saw a funny post on Facebook yesterday from someone who accidentally slipped out of her morning routine for a few seconds, and the next thing she knew, she was trying to put on pants over her shoes.

I chuckled, because I can definitely relate to this. Like, I shower and towel off in a very specific order. It’s not that I’m particular about it–it’s just one of those mindless things I do. So if I do anything that disrupts that routine even a little bit, my muscle memory doesn’t know what to do and I either stop completely or end up forgetting an entire step.

The same can happen when I’m getting dressed, getting ready for bed, even driving a familiar route.

Have you ever had this happen? What are your mindless routines, and what happens when something unexpected breaks the routine?

2 thoughts on “What Happens When You Mess Up a Mindless Routine?”

  1. For me it is showering. I always wash my hair first. If for whatever reason I do anything at all before that, I forget to wash my hair. So a couple times a year I get out of the shower, and a few hours later when my hair dries I realize it is greasy and disgusting. Fun times.

    Reply
    • I’m the opposite, and I’ve had the opposite issue. Like, I wash my hair last, and every now and then–for reasons I can’t explain–I wash my hair first. After that I’m like, “Something is wrong here. Who am I? Where am I?” It totally breaks me out of my reverie. Eventually I figure it out and take care of business, but for a few moments I’m totally lost.

      Reply

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