The majority of baby boomers created their daily routines long before group chats and push alerts were even around. The arrival of new technology didn’t make these routines disappear. A few of their habits may look boring, perhaps even outdated, but there’s a reason why boomers keep doing them. They make them happy. Here are seven everyday habits that make boomers happier than younger generations, and why.
Standing phone calls instead of endless text threads
You’ll find that many people in the older generation will treat phone calls as more like calendar items than anything spontaneous. They’ll speak to the same person on the same day at the same time, perhaps every week or month. It’s an expected time to have a conversation that takes away a lot of the guesswork that younger people have to deal with.
Gen Z and millennials send texts all day long. But boomers choose to schedule a time to speak, and that means they’re never left wondering when to reply or how long is too long to wait. They simply pick up the phone to talk.
Being part of a real-world group that meets in person
Younger people like to go between online communities because it’s so convenient. Yet boomers recognize the rewards that come from meeting with a group physically as part of a schedule. It doesn’t matter whether it’s church groups or hobby clubs. Everything works. They’ll meet rain or shine, as attendance isn’t optional like a Discord server is.
People notice when you don’t show up. Having a regular time to meet up with people allows boomers to have an in-person connection without the need for constant effort or planning. It makes them happier since it’s so frequent.
Gardening as a default weekend plan
Lots of boomers see gardening more as a normal part of the weekend, rather than a hobby they’ll “get around to” or something popular on social media. They make sure to start every weekend outside. It could be something as simple as pulling weeds or checking plants, but either way, it’s repetitive and slow work. That’s what makes it so good for you.
There’s also the social side of gardening that comes from talking to neighbors over fences and swapping tips with each other. Gardening is another routine for boomers. The difference is that it’s one without screens or decision fatigue.
Keeping a faith routine
Boomers are more religious than younger generations are, and they’ll make sure to practice their religion consistently. The focus for them is less on debate or even identity. The goal is to create a consistent habit so that boomers know exactly where they need to be & when. The routine is the same during the holidays, too.
That’s not to say that all boomers are deeply religious. There are some who simply keep the routine because it’s familiar, and that’s what makes them happier. They spend less effort deciding how to spend their time. It gives them the opportunity to actually relax.
Getting news from TV or print
The older generation knows all about the benefits of physical media, so they’ll make sure to consume the news at specific times with the morning paper or evening news. Then they’re done. Such a routine gives them a clear start & stop that allows them to physically choose when they’re taking in information.
But younger people don’t understand that. They’re more likely to check the headlines all day, and it allows the top stories to bleed into every free moment that they have. Boomers prefer to turn it off and go back to their day by keeping the news contained.
Fixing small problems right away
Very few boomers will sit with tiny issues for very long. They’ll handle anything that’s rattling or leaking the same day, and they also have a drawer filled with basic tools to fix things almost immediately. Boomers will even open and put the mail where it belongs as soon as they receive it, rather than allowing it to stack up.
These problems are usually quite insignificant, but keeping their to-do list short makes many boomers happy. They have fewer half-finished tasks hanging around each day. The day becomes a lot easier to manage because boomers don’t allow the small things to pile up as young people do.
Taking afternoon naps without guilt
A short afternoon nap is simply part of the day for a lot of boomers, and they don’t see it as a sign of laziness. They’re happy to spend 20 minutes in a chair or lying down before getting up. Some young people might do the same thing, but the difference with boomers is that they don’t have any timer anxiety, nor do they spend time scrolling beforehand.
They set a clear start & end for their nap to stop it from blurring into the evening. Young people might feel like they need to justify their decision to sleep, and they might even feel like they’re behind afterward. But not boomers.
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