Carefully planning your routine can feel good in a chaotic world – but experts say we should ‘choose when to choose’
S
ocial media is in its intentional era. On TikTok and Instagram, living intentionally means operating on the highest plane of existence: each moment is the product of heartfelt planning, part of the careful pursuit of a life flawlessly lived. Perhaps you intentionally spend half an hour after work decompressing, then put on your carefully curated playlist while you intentionally work out, intentionally choosing exercises that center your mind and body while also giving you huge forearms, before intentionally preparing dinner using locally sourced ingredients.
As Marie Solis wrote in the New York Times recently: “You can just do all of these things. Or you can do them ‘intentionally’”. The fear, it seems, is that a failure to act with purpose means letting life happen to you.
Intentionality has become inescapable – along with daily activities, the word is used to describe therapy and dating, and of course has been coopted by brands, such as Rhode’s “intentional skin care”. That is not to be confused, I guess, with accidental skincare, which may mean stumbling into CVS and grabbing blindly at the shelf without spending hours reading reviews first. At its best, intentionality means taking care and avoiding rash decisions. At a time when it feels like the world has descended into chaos, it makes complete sense that we would prioritize a sense of agency in our routines and projects. Uncertainty drives anxiety, and making purposeful choices offers a way to exert control over our own lives.
