Resisting and Accepting Routines

You may have heard the advice that finding a routine is a helpful coping mechanism in times of uncertainty like right now. When so many things are changing, controlling what you can and finding some sense of normalcy can be extremely useful. Routines help to: 

• Remind you to incorporate healthy behaviors in your day 
• Make you feel more grounded by having some consistency you can depend on 
• Keep you taking action which helps to prevent ruminating thinking or social media/news overload 
• Minimize the number of decisions you make each day to help you to use your willpower and brain cells more effectively (especially helpful when the feeling of crisis and chaos can be draining on both things) 

I believe these things to be true. And I have found myself resisting routines in the past couple of weeks. Especially on the weekends, a routine can feel like an overwhelming amount of pressure, guilting me to take action when all I want to do is sit around and relax.  I want to rebel against any form of structure, which feels like it is only there to stifle me. I stare down my list of intentions, books, my computer, my journal – all things that I would normally find enjoyable parts of my routine. It feels like I just can’t find the momentum to move out of inaction.  

As I have observed this internal fight within myself, I’ve noticed how exhausting it is. This was especially clear to me today when after a weekend of going through this internal struggle and drama, I fell back into my normal workday routine. I expected this to feel restrictive, but surprisingly it felt light and easy and perhaps even had some flow to it. 

Different times in life call for different support systems. I usually like to build flexibility and flow into my life and schedules. I like to focus on intentions and to not hold my schedule and routines too tightly or rigidly. 

But I’m realizing at this moment, I need a little bit of structure and routine. This structure serves as a container, letting me relax into it and fill it in a creative and fluid way. As I create more of a daily routine, I know I need to be careful to not let it become something that I “should” or “must” do. Instead, I want to use it as a guidepost or a lamp – helping to illuminate a daily path so I don’t end up stumbling around in the dark as much.  

As I create and fine tune my daily routine, I will share here what is working for me. In the meantime, I encourage you to look at your own days and life and see if you could use some support and structure. Are there times where you are prone to ruminating or you feel a bit lost? What gentle boundaries can you create for yourself to feel more supported? 

xo

Louisa

This post is part of my Quarantine Journal Series. Read more about my intentions behind it here.