Subconscious vs. Conscious Routines

One of the most intriguing aspects of the societal shifts due to the coronavirus is the impact it's having on routines; both individual and organizational.

Currently, we are going through a collective paradigm shift the likes of which the world hasn't seen since WW2. This is affecting most aspects of our day-to-day life and there are ripple effects taking place that will not be understood until much later.

What has been very interesting to observe, both within myself, those I'm close to as well as the general populace is the discomfort this sudden change of life's pace has brought about. Most of us have been forced to drastically adapt our daily lives, whether that means working remotely, not going into work at all and of course not being able to socialize in public places. This has left us with much more time to sit with our thoughts, contemplate our passions, re-evaluate our motivations and generally take a raw look at where we are in life.

Introspection of this sort comes with pain, discomfort and a desire to distract ourselves from the hard questions. But once the Netflix/Hulu binge is over, the important questions are still there. What you are left with is the stark realization that all the daily action sequences YOU THOUGHT were under your control were actually a deeply embedded series of patterns that over time your brain has fine-tuned into an automated process. Even the most basic things you did throughout the day were just a machination of the circumstances of your life. Take for example the first 15 minute of your day upon waking: what used to be a mad dash of pre-determined tasks (wake up, go to bathroom, read emails/catch up on news, drink coffee, drive the same route to work etc) has become irrelevant to your current life. Many people will feel a great tension arise from within resulting from the sudden removal of a comfortably predictable set of actions that your brain craves. Similar to an addiction, these routines ingrain themselves into our subconscious, dictating your actions to provide the brain the stimulus it so craves, even when the completion of the action may no longer provide the desired outcome. This dynamic is often referred to as: habit-based behaviors.

Unlike goal-directed behaviors, the habit-based routine is not affected by changes in the value of an outcome. The habit-based routine is more likely to control behavior when under a heavy cognitive load, or during stress (Balleine & O'Doherty, 2010).

Goal-directed behaviors on the other hand, are a much more conscious sequencing event within the brain. Instead of flying on auto-pilot (as is the case with most of our daily habit-based routines) your brain is much more responsive and aware when coming from a goal-directed action)

In a nutshell, what this implies is that when we operate from a clear, goal-oriented state of mind, we literally (on a neurological level) have more control over our actions and we are able to re-route the course when these patterns are no longer serving their purpose. In contrast, when operating from a habit-based mindset, our neurological activity greatly reduces (as our brains have optimized the circuitry to deliver the predictable patterns)

Now, this does not mean that habit-based routines are all bad. Of course we can train ourselves to have very positive routines (and most of us have a few of these) however, the inherent issue is that when it is in the habit-based framework, we do not question/reassess its effectiveness as we do when it is goal-directed. So while some routines are of course important and even necessary, here is the final takeaway:

We should use the unprecedented situation of the coronavirus shutdown as an opportunity to question the deeply embedded routines in our lives, both individually and as organizations. Are the things I am habitually doing on a daily basis bringing me the value I think they should? Am I still in charge of my routines, or has my life been mostly running on auto-pilot? Are the procedures and policies our company has in place delivering the expected results? How can we adapt as an organization to be better equipped?

I hope these questions will prompt some deep introspection and help bring about challenging, but ultimately positive changes on a fundamental level. Good luck and stay safe!