One of the things that I didn’t give much thought to with moving was finding new routines. I typically am a routine oriented person. I find a sense of comfort in knowing approximately what to expect each day.

I’d like to share some of the ways that my routine has changed or had to scrap entirely with the move.

It will take time to find those routines

Even though I knew differently, I still thought that nearly 2 months would have a routine by now. Without working steady hours each week, I am finding it difficult to establish routine.

If you have a job that has steady hours, you may find it easier to do this because your obligation to specific hours helps to structure your day. If you’re like me, you may find it hard to figure out what to do with your time between work.

Take the opportunity to experiment with changing your old routine. You may find that just because you did something a certain way for a long time isn’t the best way for you to do it.

The easiest one was bedtime. Once you’ve trained yourself to go to bed at a certain time or wake up at a certain time, it’s easier to fall back into that because you’re already primed for it.

Meals was a little trickier for me. With the stress of the move, I lost connection with those hunger cues and have to set reminders to eat most days.

Add new experiences into your days

Sometimes when we are trying to establish a routine, e get lost on what we “should” be doing with our time. It matters more that we are doing things that help us manage stress and responsibility, plus recharging ourselves.

Adding new experiences into our days can help us to narrow down what works for us, especially when we don’t know where to start in establishing a daily routine. It could be a simple as changing the mug you use for morning coffee. The novelty might be helpful in jumpstarting your brain and motivation to get things done that you need to.

Start small

It’s tempting to start our entire days from scratch when we want to change or establish a new routine. If you want to wake up earlier, start in 30 minute increments. Want to kick coffee? Start with one less cup or drink a day. Getting rid of social media? Delete one app.

These small changes help us stay in the motivation mindset and makes it more likely that we’ll stick with those changes.

Last one, be kind to yourself

There will be days that are harder than others and it’s okay if there’s a slip back into old routines. There is always another time to try again.

If you need to talk to someone about routines or how to manage stress or deal with responsibility, you can book a consultation with Dryad Counseling and see if we can help you.

#routine #mentalhealth #therapy #moving #counseling #ohio #change