On Developing a Routine

I don't tend to be a routine-based person. My life is often a mystery and I'm not sure what's coming down the pipeline and it's really fun that way. My work is different every time I walk into the office, Brett and I are always up to different things each week, I'm always up to try new things and I enjoy it. Routine isn't really something I associate with my life. Or at least I haven't until very recently. Spring is always extremely hectic in higher ed, and if you've been following my blog for a while you're probably used to me saying that! Schedules get very crazy very quickly, so I've recently made a decision to create somewhat of a daily routine for myself in order to have some sort of comforting consistency in my life.

A routine for me needs to be rigid enough that I'll make the time for myself to follow it, but flexible enough that if I have to push something out to make way for something else it won't stress me out. I try to stick to this routine as many days of the week as I can as I really find that it aids in easing stress and creating some sort of consistency in my usually inconsistent schedule, but I do understand that because my schedule is so inconsistent that there will be days that I can't check off every box on this list. Here is what I've been doing over the past few weeks and it's really been making a positive impact in my life thus far:

Before Work

My pre-work morning tends to be my most regimented part of the day. Here's

6:00AM - Alarm goes off. I try my damnedest to wake the f--- up and not hit snooze 50 times like I want to.
6:15AM - Roll out the yoga mats in the living room. Watch a YouTube video or two before Brett joins me to wake up a bit.
6:30AM - Brett & I do a Yoga with Adriene video. These are usually about 30 minutes long.
7:00AM - Get ready for work. If I have some free time I will read or watch YouTube.
8:00AM - Head out the door for work. I'll more often than not make a stop at Dunkin' Donuts for a morning bagel & coffee.

At Work

I usually get in around 9:00AM, depending on my schedule for the day. I like to block out the first hour of my schedule to get oriented for the day. I'll spend this time checking emails, checking my calendar, and doing some mindfulness activities in my bullet journal*. This really helps to put myself in a positive mindset for the day.

I really try to prioritize taking my lunch away from my desk. Unfortunately most of my staff works on extremely different schedules so we're all taking lunch at different times and we can't eat together (though we would love to!), so I'll usually take my lunch and my book and find a quiet spot on campus (usually the library if it's cold, an outdoor spot if it's warm) to eat and read for an hour. This is a really nice way to break up the day and to rejuvenate my mind to push through the afternoon.

After Work

This always varies depending on my workout schedule, if there are any events I need to be at for work, or I have plans with friends, but on normal nights will go one of two ways:

1. I head directly to the gym for an hour to do some cardio and potentially a lift. If it's actually light out when I leave work (so spring/summer/early fall) I'll run outside. I'll then grab a snack and head home. Sometimes I'll treat myself to a latte at Starbucks for the ride home.

2. I head home and do any editing that needs to be done for my channel or any writing that needs to be done for my blog. If I don't have any editing or writing to do I'll veg out with some Netflix or YouTube. I'll usually make sure to write a little something in my journal and reading as well.

I don't typically set a "bed time" for myself, but I say I consistently get tired and doze off around 11PM every night.

Aaaand that's my typical routine on a weekday! If I don't have work or if it's the weekend my schedule is usually a huge toss up and I don't really have a routine, but I let myself fall out my routine and relax a bit on those days. Sometimes it's nice not to think! I've been really liking having this sort of routine every day as it's helped ease some stress each day and build in some time for self-care as well.

Do you have a daily routine? How has it benefitted you? 

Let me know in the comments! :)

*I will be doing a blogpost that will go in a few weeks on mindfulness activities in your bullet journal! Be on the look out for that. :)