What is the difference between habit, routine and ritual and how to get the most out of them

No matter how much we want every day to be different, we still repeat the same actions for weeks and months. After all, routine and habits are an integral part of life. It is absolutely natural for us to make our bed in the morning, drink coffee, chew something on the way to work and listen to music in the car or subway.

We consider the words "habit" and "routine" almost synonymous, but they mean completely different things. And if we understand exactly how they differ from each other, then we will learn much better to organize our every day and plan for the future.

What is the difference between a habit and a routine

The main difference between these concepts lies in our awareness and intentions. Both habits and routines are regular, repetitive activities. But habits are unconscious, while routine requires effort.

A habit is an impulse to do something that automatically arises due to a certain trigger. For example, waking up is a trigger for the coffee drinking habit, and getting to work is a trigger for the listening to music habit. The stronger the connection between the trigger and the habit, the stronger it becomes ingrained.

Routine, on the other hand, requires consistent effort. Making the bed, going to the gym, meditating are all part of the routine. We need to do this regularly, otherwise such actions will simply disappear from our lives - the brain does not automatically trigger them, unlike habits.

Over time, using the right techniques, routine actions can be turned into habits. All you need is to really want it and follow a certain algorithm.

How to turn a routine into a habit

Many have studied how habits are formed, such as James Clear in book "Atomic Habits" or Charles Duhigg's book "The Power of Habit". But the main idea of ​​most authors comes down to the classic “habit loop”. It consists of three elements:

• Signal. Thisrigger, which gives the brain a command to start acting. Find something that will nudge you into the action you want to turn into a habit.
• Sample. It's self action. At first, it is better to choose something as simple and easy as possible, and postpone ambitious tasks for later.
• Reward. It's anything that brings you pleasure. Thanks to the reward at the end, the brain will understand that this “habit loop” is worth remembering for the future.

The hardest part is to execute the pattern right after the signal. But there are a few secrets that help to quickly introduce habits into our lives, such as the Habit Stack technique. It consists in adding new actions to those already fixed. Let's say meditate for 10 minutes every morning right after brushing your teeth.

How to turn a routine into a ritual

The difference between routine and ritual lies in our attitude towards each action. Routine is something we do because we have to, like washing dishes or taking a shower before bed. A ritual is a meaningful practice that has a specific purpose. The most important thing in it is our subjective experience, when we focus on our sensations and feelings, and not on the need to complete some action.

To create useful rituals, you need to start performing routine actions consciously. For example, a morning shower provides a great opportunity to connect with your body, feel the drops of water on your skin and focus on your sensations.

You can turn every meal into a ritual - just pay attention to the texture of the food and its taste. Overview of 24 studies showedE. Robinson, P. Aveyard, et al. Eating attentively: A systematic review and meta‑analysis of the effect of food intake memory and awareness on eating / The American Journal of Clinical Nutritionthat mindful eating improves the taste of food, and it gives us more pleasure. Even cleaning the apartment can become a ritual if you focus on the movements of your body and the sensations in your muscles and joints. Another win-win option is to keep a diary. Scientists provedP. Kini, J. Wong, et al. The effects of gratitude expression on neural activity / Neuroimagethat writing down at least one thank you every day helps you feel better.

It doesn't matter which ritual you choose. The main thing is that it fills your life with meaning and helps you get out of the “autopilot” mode.