Routine makes people feel safer and more confident

People felt safer, more confident, and better overall in routine situations than in unfamiliar ones.

The study

The researcher ran five studies in different everyday settings: on flights, in different neighborhoods of a city, in a lab where people did either a routine or a non-routine task, and in where students chose to sit in university classrooms. In all five, people reported more feelings of safety, confidence, and well-being when the situation was routine.

Starting small

Routine is sometimes framed as dull, but it can also be steadying. A few fixed points in the day, like a morning cup of tea or a short evening walk, can give the rest of the day something familiar to rest on.