Rethinking Old Routines
The relaxed, loose days of summer are winding down for many of us as a new school year begins. As we come to the end of one season, it’s a great time to take a closer look at our day to day schedules and assess what’s working and what’s not. What do you love about your current schedule? What areas would you like to change? Is there something you’d like to make more time for each day?
Developing a consistent routine helps all of us feel more grounded and can bring clarity to our days. It’s obviously not realistic to schedule a strict routine for every moment of our lives, but developing some solid routines for portions of your day will help bring a sense of calm and stability. Here are some of our favorite tips for developing and sticking to routines.
Write it Down
A great way to begin is to write down all of the events and tasks of a typical day. Most of these will be neutral, but there might be some tasks or events that feel more positive or negative. Highlight those that bring you joy. Maybe reading in the evening relaxes you, so you highlight that moment. Next, circle the ones that could use some improvement. Getting the kids out the door for school in the morning might be a stressful sticking point for your family, so you circle that moment.
Get Creative
Brainstorm ways you can carve more time for those highlighted joyful moments and solutions for the less desirable routines. If reading brings you joy and relaxation, maybe listen to an audiobook while you complete a task you dislike, such as folding laundry. For those stressful parts of the day, maybe there’s a fun way to breathe new energy into them. The next time you’re stressed in the morning getting the kids out the door, try playing an upbeat song everyone loves before heading out. This song can signal the kids to gather their backpacks and water bottles, get their shoes and coats on, and head out the door.
Organize
Carve out a little time at the beginning of the week to review the week ahead. Sit down with your planner and review appointments, schedules, and tasks for the week. Get the family involved and talk through each day of the week. Everyone will feel more prepared with a sense of what’s ahead. Discuss any frustrations you might have with day to day routines and ask the kids to brainstorm ways things can improve. You might be surprised by the creative solutions your family can think up!
Small Changes
The smaller the change the better! Small changes will be easier to repeat, better ensuring you can repeat them each day. If you would like to develop the routine of waking early to exercise, instead of stating you will exercise every morning, maybe start with one day a week instead. Start small and build from there!
Here are a few fun, family routines you can try!
Set out clothes the night before you go to bed to make morning dressing easier.
Make a pot of tea after school and talk about the day.
Wake up 15 minutes earlier than usual and try completing a short morning meditation.
Choose a night for family game night or movie night.
Play a fun, dance playlist while doing the dishes after dinner.
Go on an evening walk after dinner.
Meet a friend to exercise with in the morning or evening.
Choose a fun, themed dinner to make each week. Think Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Spaghetti Saturday.
We’d love to hear from you! Do you have a routine that helps bring consistency to your life?