My routines disappeared when I wasn’t looking
| I wasn’t paying attention We all have routines that help keep our lives on track. Some feel automatic because we have been doing them so long – like brushing my teeth or tying my shoes. Others need a bit more focused attention. For the past several weeks, maybe more, my focus has been occupied elsewhere. I was not thinking about the routines that I have come to rely on to make my life easier. Some of these are daily routines like meditating every morning and drinking plenty of water. Others are weekly routines like getting to the gym and grocery shopping on Sundays for the week. On Tuesday, I woke up feeling really out of sorts. So I sat and pondered what was going on. My mom was doing great – last week’s email will explain more if this doesn’t make sense to you, you can check it out here. I had a full work week ahead – lots of clients and a speaking engagement. Yet, I felt off. Then it hit me, my routines were out of whack! Well, the routines that take a bit of focus. In the shuffle of priorities in my life, I stopped paying attention to actions that were not urgent. Skipping one day of meditation turned into skipping 4, then a week, then two weeks. I sit for just 10 minutes a day and don’t always realize what a big impact it has on my mental health. Tuesday, I felt the cumulative loss. Same with not going grocery shopping. It meant I was eating out more or ordering in more. Eating fewer veggies and more processed food. My body was feeling the impact. Missing my veggies for a day or two, no problem. Missing them for a few weeks was adding up. I know why I got out of my routines and can understand what happened. My energy was elsewhere, and I stopped paying attention. Now that I noticed, it is time to get back on track! |
| Getting back into routine! This is not a unique experience. This is not the first time I turned around, and my routine was lost. This happens all the time. I’m hoping you can relate, and this isn’t just me. It happens to me after I travel…getting back into routine can take a while. It also occurs when there are schedule changes…like shifting from the school year to the summer. Even though I don’t have my own kids, the impact on my private practice and my daily schedule is significant. It happens when I’m stressed and get really busy… the elements that help me stay strong and healthy are sometimes the first to go. This moment is familiar! Though sometimes it is more expected than it was this week. Now that I had seen my routine disappear, it was time to get it back. As the guilt set in, my first step was to remind myself that this is human and part of life. No need to beat myself up about it. As I type this, it sounds so good, and the truth is, I’m working on letting go of the guilt. Some moments are better than others. I decided to pick one routine to focus on for the rest of the week. I decided to focus on drinking enough water. If you saw me this week, you may have noticed my water bottle close in hand. Small steps! If I tried to put everything back in place on Tuesday, I would have been overwhelmed and crashed, restarting from nothing. What I’m noticing is that while I’m focusing on drinking more water, I am inspired to sit and meditate and make better food choices already. My small step has inspired other small steps forward. This weekend, I will decide what my next additional routine will be. Slowly, I will build them all back. I will also take time to evaluate if any of my routines need to be changed, to evolve with this moment in my life. |
| Golden Nuggets of the Week: 1. Routines help. My routines may be different from yours, and what is the same is that they help us get through the day. Our physical and mental health work better with routines. Routines help us remember to do all the things we need to do in a day, week, or month. 2. Energy goes where attention flows. When I stopped paying attention to my routines, my routines stopped. Now that I have started focusing on them again, they are coming back. Where you focus is what grows in your life. So be as intentional as possible with your energy and attention. 3. We are all human! The ebb and flow of being on track and off track is part of being human. This is the dance of life! When I have the capacity to do all the helpful routines, I do! When life draws me to other priorities, I flow in that direction. That is not a problem or something bad; it is being human! |
| One step at a time Life is full, and the world has so many different facets to focus on. The relationship we create with work, our family, our health, our communities, and all the other aspects of our lives will forever pull us in many different directions. Taking time to think about what routines support you best can be time well spent. It also may include deciding what routines do not support you and need to shift. I have a feeling that my to-do list will never be done, and there will always be something else I could be spending my time doing. Right now, I know that my routines of grocery shopping, going to the gym, drinking lots of water, and meditating help me live my best life and support me being the best version of myself. Yes, that sounds cheesy, and perhaps it is. This is how I think about my routines. I hope you will take some time to think about yours in this way. What routines do you have that are important? What routines feel necessary? What routines have you lost that you want to pick back up? What routines do you want to share with those around you? What routines are outdated? What routines leave you feeling depleted? What routines leave you feeling energized? There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. They may just be a way to start bringing intention to your routines! |
