Welcome to The Friends Theory - the newsletter where we overthink sitcom moments to make sense of real life (and laugh at ourselves along the way).

This week, we’re poking at the habits and routines we cling to, and see what happens when we break the script.

4 min read

The One Where We Break The Routine

Insights from "The One With The Routine" (Season 6, Episode 10)

Ever Been Here?

Me? I’m a routine girl.
Well, more of a Monica about things (aka maybe a little weird, a little intense).

For example: I have to work out in the morning. For years, it’s been wake up, work out. That’s the routine.
Sure, it evolved once I became a mum — but still, if I don’t exercise before my workday starts, it’s basically “no can do” for the rest of the day.

Could I, technically, work out at lunch or in the afternoon? Absolutely. I have a flexible schedule. I control (mostly) my own calendar. But no, the routine is the thing. Morning or bust.

And I have more:
Always finish the book.
Even if it’s bad.
Even if it makes me want to gouge my eyes out.
I have to finish it. Why? Who knows. Maybe I just like the tiny thrill of imaginary doom.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate routines. We all have them. Many are good (hello, brushing your teeth twice a day). They keep life moving.

But sometimes, they also become… stifling. Outdated. Not serving you anymore. Making you miserable or resentful — sometimes without you even realising it.

Here’s what I’ve realised: routines aren’t just habits. They’re mini identity badges.
“I’m the kind of person who…”
→ works out in the morning
→ finishes every book
→ walks to the cupcake shop with my son every Saturday

They make life feel stable, predictable, knowable. But…they can also shrink us — because they don’t just tell us what to do, they tell us who we think we are. And when we mistake habit for identity, we miss out on all the other versions of ourselves waiting in the wings.

Try This On

Why break a routine?
Because sometimes, it’s not a reliable system — it’s just a habit you’re clinging to out of comfort or fear.

A life of only routine isn’t a fully lived life.
(Okay, bold statement. I won’t die on that hill. I love good habits. They strengthen us.)
But if you’re pushing to maintain something that once helped but now cages you… maybe it’s time to shake things up.

And here’s the best part: you don’t even need to give yourself permission.
You can just do it differently — for a day, a week, even just a minute.

This past week, I broke mine.
I went camping. In the middle of the workweek.
Yes, I know — that’s a big break (okay, okay, it was a mini holiday). But you know what it gave me?
Space. Breathing room. Fresh air — not just for my lungs, but for my brain.

I appreciated the small things. I felt energised, even though I was sharing a tent with two other humans and a dog (the little human and the dog being the wriggliest, of course….and I loved it).

I felt invigorated. I had inspiration. I saw things differently.
It gave me… an edge. Answers — and maybe more questions.
It gave me… new.

And here’s what else I realised:
I love coming home to familiar routines.
Saturday morning walks with my son to the cupcake shop and library? That’s my jam.
But how did I find that jam in the first place?
By doing something different.

A few more tools to help shake things up a bit…

💌 From the Couch

Okay, real talk: no reader tip this week (where you at, friends?!).
But I know you’ve got little hacks, shake-ups, or weird routine busters.
Hit reply and tell me: What’s one small thing you’re switching up this week?
I’d love to feature your tip in an upcoming edition.
✨ I read every message, and it’s one of my favorite parts of this newsletter.

Final Thought

Our lives are made up of one small choice after another.
It’s easy to get comfortable, to stick with what we know, and to assume it’s what’s best for us — just because it’s familiar.

But if you, like me, ever get that quiet little itch, that niggling feeling that you’re stuck on an eat-sleep-repeat loop… here’s your nudge to shake it up.

You might even discover you love exercising at lunchtime.
Or writing at night.
Or dancing in the kitchen before work.

You never know what’s waiting on the other side of one small change.

Lucy xx

See you next week with more sitcom wisdom you didn’t know you needed.

Thanks for reading The Friends Theory. I appreciate you so much ❤️