It seems that right as I get into a good routine there is something that snaps me out of it. This time it was a long holiday weekend. I have a few strategies I have found useful in making sure that I get back into a routine right away versus waiting for an arbitrary timeline to get back on track.
I am not a person who easily maintains habits and routines. I truly have to work at it. It seems as quickly as I get into them there is something that comes along that knocks me right back to the beginning, or at least that’s how it always felt. The truth is when we fall out of rhythm with our routine we aren’t truly starting over. We have the advantage of experience and knowledge on our side and we can use this to get back into things.
I am writing this coming off of a long holiday weekend. My husband, dog, and I packed up the car and headed to visit my dad and stepmom in northern Wisconsin for the weekend. It was a weekend filled with family, boat rides, food, drinks, and laughter. We played games, went go-karting, and took the dogs on walks. It was a great weekend but I definitely am out of my routine. I didn’t get as much sleep. I had a few more drinks than I normally would. Ate way more meals out than is typical, and didn’t drink nearly enough water. Even before this trip out of town things were out of sorts after getting sick two weeks prior.
Typically I would struggle to get back to my routine after such a long period of time. Routines will look differently for everyone, but for me I am talking about going to bed between 10-11pm, drinking water throughout the day, getting regular movement (3-4 times per week ideally), eating at home for the majority of meals, and taking time to journal and plan my day in the morning and complete my joy journal at night (the joy journal should be a post all it’s own so more to come on that). I historically have found myself thinking that I can just wait until next week because there is just too much to do or nothing we have to eat sounds good or I deserve more of a break; the list of reasons to not get back into my routine and habits was never ending but they didn’t serve me.
I have played around with a few different strategies and tactics to make the journey back to routine easier. I am currently putting them into practice as I write this.
Here’s the four strategies I have found to be most successful at helping me re-establish my routine and get back on track.
1. Prioritize your habits.
Not all habits will or have to be put back into place right away, especially if the break from them has been long. I know that a few of my habits help to set the foundation of my routine so I choose to put those into place first. For me, those are limiting alcohol and eating at home. I am the girl that loves a nice cocktail and a meal out, but I have found that the longer I keep doing these things the worse sleep I get, I move my body less, and I tend to start feeling unsettled and anxious. So tonight I’m drinking sparkling water and eating zoodles with meatballs on my couch. Cheers!
2. Plan Ahead
Because eating at home is a key habit for me, we make sure to have at least three days of meals at home so we aren’t having to rush to the grocery store first thing. I know that having meal options available sets us up for success. We know that these days will not be the best meals we will ever make, but we know they are there, they are easy, and they are typically healthier than what we have been eating if we have been away from home.
This is just an example of how you may plan ahead but everyone’s habits are different. Look at your top priority habits and consider how you can best set yourself up for success when you get home. If movement is a key priority maybe you make sure that your favorite workout clothes are clean and waiting or you schedule a workout or walk with a friend for the day after you’re home. Perhaps you would be most successful if you created a to-do list for what needs to be done before you went on vacation so you know how and where to jump in when you get home.
3. Let go of perfection. Delegate what you can.
I am a perfectionist and I have very high expectations for myself, my home, and pretty much everything happening around me. I know that in periods after illness, vacation, or simply not doing the things that make me feel the best, I have to let go of this. One of my favorite mantras is “perfection is not required today”. I know that trying to do it all immediately isn’t sustainable and it just causes more stress. When this happens I tend to delay the habits that make me happy and feel like myself in favor of other tasks or avoiding things altogether.
You may consider delegation to help ease yourself back into your routine. In our house we have figured out who is responsible for which chore and it is incredibly important in these moments. For example, I know that I am not responsible for the mountain of laundry. Knowing this frees up my mental capacity and time to focus on other things. I know that my husband will do the laundry; it may not be exactly how I would do it, but it will be done. I have to let go of how to perfectly fold the beach towels if I want to have energy to focus on other things. So, however he decides to fold them today will be good enough and I’m grateful they are clean.
As a caregiver, you have an infinite amount of tasks and responsibilities that you could attend to. As you ask yourself what to attend to first, ask yourself: what needs to be done right away and of that list what needs to be done by me?
If you go through that list and you weren’t able to identify one thing that could wait, or one thing you could ask for help with I would encourage you to think about that and consider what that may be telling you. Perhaps you would benefit from letting go of a few things in your day-to-day life and releasing control. I realize not everyone has other people to provide care for their loved one, but are there non-caregiving tasks that you can get help with so you have time to do the caregiving that is needed? It can be scary to let go of control but eventually, and with practice, it gets easier.
4. Don’t wait for an arbitrary date.
Let’s be honest, the likelihood that next Monday rolls around and you are magically ready to take on the world and restart all your habits and routine isn’t high. I have found that the longer I wait to get back into things the harder it is. I start to feel like any progress I had made is gone and it’s going to be harder to get it back. By postponing your high priority habits to another day, another week, or another month you are inevitably setting yourself up for an even bigger challenge. For most people, habits are a chain reaction. One healthy or positive habit makes another easier. Figure out where to start and then do that and do it as soon as you can. I didn’t really want to go to that yoga class tonight. I wanted to sit at home and scroll on Instagram after a weekend off social media (the joys of no reception), but I knew that wouldn’t serve me in the long run so I put on my yoga clothes and forced myself out the door. I now have momentum to carry me into tomorrow.
Much of this post is related to the impact vacation can have on habits and routine, but the reality is there are many reasons why people fall out of rhythm with their routine. It could be illness, stress, depression, a change in situation or support, or maybe it was never sustainable to begin with. If you find yourself in a similar situation, whatever the reason may be, I hope that you find these tips helpful in getting yourself back on track. I would love to hear what tips and tricks you have for getting back into a routine after falling out of one. Share in the comments on this post or head to Instagram and send us a message.
Cheering for you as you create a routine and habits that are meaningful and sustainable for you!
1 Comment