I am a routine kind of gal. They make me feel stable, at ease, and organized. Some people find them boring and restrictive, but I’ve always found great comfort in them. When my routines are interrupted (from here on out known as “routinus interruptus”), I can adjust for a while, but then I crave them again. Let me tell you…there’s nothing like relocating 1,000 miles away to wreak havoc on your routines. :)
Even though I moved back to a familiar and beloved area, I still ended up with a bad case of routinus interruptus. There was the new job with different hours, the new house with a different layout, and all the other “this” and “that” that comes with a big life change. The other day I realized that my case was so severe that some immediate intervention was required.
Time to pause and remind myself of a few things that got shoved to the bottom of my survival pack. I sat down and tuned into that little self-healther who lives in my brain. She’d been whispering to me all along, Remember…
When you sit down early Saturday morning to plan next week’s menu and grocery list, you’ll make better food choices throughout the week.
When you hop out of bed a little early to exercise, you’ll feel stronger and have more energy throughout the day.
When you find a reason to laugh every day, your mood will be lighter and you’ll be enjoyable to be around.
These are all good things. Things that keep me and my health on track. When I grabbed my favorite pen (yes, I have a favorite pen, don’t you?!) and feverishly made a list of everything that’s fallen off routine radar, my stress level instantly went down. Now I’m figuring out where I can pepper these self-health habits into my new schedule, and I plan to make them a priority.
It’s the things we do on a daily basis that truly make a difference. If you’re a routine naysayer and can still prioritize your health, more power to ya. But if you’ve been feeling that life is happening to you, look at what aspects of your overall health would benefit by getting organized making some routines. Maybe, like me, you’ll find some comfort there.
Images from iStock/bernardbodo (main), Tatomm (post).
Paula Widish, author of Trophia: Simple Steps to Everyday Self-Health, is a freelance writer and self-healther. She loves nothing more than sharing tidbits of information she discovers with others. (Actually, she loves her family more than that—and probably bacon too.) Paula has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Public Relations and is a Certified Professional Life Coach through International Coach Academy.
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