The Art of Routine in a Pandemic
I’m not a big fan of prescribed routines in general. I do have a morning ritual (Morning Pages as suggested by Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way), and I write out a gratitude list at the end of the day, that’s it. I see bloggers and YouTubers with these elaborate morning routines of juicing, and meditating, and sun salutations, and ginger shots, and chanting, and cold showers, and I think, “yep, they don’t have kids.” In general, I find that having so many things to remember as part of your routine adds to the pressure of said routine, thus making the routine another Thing To Do Right, negating its entire purpose in the first place.
But these days, I am rethinking that. In this chaotic world, there is very little we can control right now. But one thing we can control is how we spend the time that is ours each day. The amount of time we have that is just ours varies depending on your work, parenting, roommates, etc. But for the time that is yours, whether it’s 15 minutes or three hours, adding structure to that time can help you achieve more, waste less, and generally feel as if there’s one small thing you can control in the midst of the pandemic madness.
My routines have taken on a whole new level in the past few weeks. In the morning I do my Morning Pages, always with the Peaceful Piano playlist on Spotify. I then schedule my day, and the things I’d like to accomplish that day. Then I go for a walk with the intention of being open to new ideas, and new openings for action. As I walk, I listen to the Cardio playlist on Spotify on the uphill, and then switch to an audiobook on the downhill. All of this might seem overscheduled and rigid, but for me, it gives me something solid to hang on to. Plus, with the routine never changing, I’m never stuck wondering what to do. I always know the next thing.
When I get home I write for half an hour, and then it’s time to start making breakfast. My kiddo is sleeping in these days (because she goes to bed at 11 – about normal for Spain, but for me…GAH!). So I go into the kitchen and start making noise, and watch Parks and Rec, and she eventually wakes up. After finishing breakfast, we start our school day, and that has a whole other rhythm and routine associated with it.
My evening routine is equally prescribed. After H is in bed, I load and run the dishwasher, and get things ready for the next day in the kitchen so I don’t have to wander around bumping into things and making noise when I’m half asleep the next morning. Then I wash my face, and load up on anti-aging cream (I mean, I am firmly in my mid 40’s now – skipping moisturizing was a luxury I had when I was 24. Not now.). Write out my gratitude list. Read in bed. And lights out.
My routine might sound more strict than yours, or like anything you could handle in the morning. Or, you might be one of those ginger-shot people who manages to do 50 sun salutations before coffee. Either way, I do think that the routine and structure is so important for us all right now. Not only because it provides a sense of calm and control at a time when most of us are lacking both, but also because it gives us an idea of what comes next without having to think about it. There’s enough to worry our brains about right now. The last thing we need is to worry our brains over what to do in the mornings.
What routines have you developed during this pandemic? What do you want to start? Let me know in the comments, and let’s share and build routines together.
