When life changes, your routine should too
Life is anything but static. Through routine we can find stability in the chaotic, the unknown, the stressful. Routine can ground us with consistency, the daily rituals becoming like a prayer performed by our bodies.
But even the most comforting of routines can become stale or not fit so easily into your life anymore. Adjusting your routines is self-care: by checking in with yourself and analyzing what works for you and what you need to let go of, you’re advocating for your needs and giving yourself the opportunity to grow.
My morning routine typically looks like this:
I made the above routine at the beginning of January and it doesn’t feel right anymore. As the year is winding down, I’m taking the opportunity to re-evaluate and design a new morning routine that feels more true to the person I am today and what my mornings look like at this point in my life, especially since I now work full time.
I’ve been feeling a nudge to make a change for a while; the little voice in my head was becoming very adamant about switching things up. So thanks to peer pressure, here we are.
My ✨ new✨ morning routine looks like this:
The two most obvious changes I made are the addition of emojis and the rearranging of the order. Plus I added and subtracted a few tasks.
I always have to pee as soon as I wake up, but my cats are very adamant about being fed, so I need to take care of them before going back and finishing getting myself ready.
I also want to prioritize stretching and increasing my flexibility (😉), so carving out some time to do that in the morning feels right. Moving around a little bit when I wake up also helps me feel more awake and alert (especially because I don’t drink coffee).
Lately I’ve been trying to put more effort into my appearance and getting ready in the morning. For me, this looks like putting on some eyeliner and eyeshadow, and I’m happy to leave it at that.
Ebb with the flow and flow with the ebb
This new routine may stick for a week or a year – who knows. The important thing, in my opinion, is that I pay attention and self-reflect often to analyze what I need and make sure I’m giving it to myself.
We need to move with the waves that wash upon the shores of our minds, which is just a poetic, and perhaps pretentious, way of saying that introspection and change are necessary for improvement.
Mornings should be made as sacred as possible. You’re quite literally setting yourself up for the day. Pour what you can into your cup from the start so you’re not running on an empty tank until it’s time to go to bed and do it all again the next day.
Evenings are a sacred time as well; if you wanna see what my evening routine looks like, check it out here.