Welcome to What's Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing.

In this episode, they turn to routines. With many families heading back to school and September still feeling like a reset for a lot of us, there's no shortage of advice on building the perfect routine, or optimising the ones we have. But are routines actually good for our health and wellbeing? And when, if ever, is breaking one a good thing?

To help cut through the noise, they’re joined by Bas Verplanken, Professor Emeritus of Social Psychology at the University of Bath.

If you want to get in touch, you can email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk.

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

Guest: Professor Bas Verplanken

Producers: Dr Samara Linton and Maia Miller-Lewis

Researcher: Dr Samara Linton

Executive Producer: Jo Rowntree

Visual Producer: Leon Gower

Technical Lead: Reuben Huxtable

Digital Lead: Richard Berry

Composer: Phoebe McFarlane

Sound Design: Melvin Rickarby

At the BBC:

Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith

Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

See more episodes

Programme website