Is a routine important in your transition?

[LizK]

Over the last 3 weeks or so my morning routine has been thrown out of whack by a minor injury. This has left me unable to exercise which has been part of my morning Routine for the last 12 months. It really has left me feeling overweight, bloated and mentally frustrated but I will be back on track in another couple of days.

I got to thinking about how important exercise was, which led me to think about a routine that lasts, not just a couple of hours in the morning but for the entire day. I find when I am following a routine I can fill my day up and avoid some triggers and discomfort by simple planning. Not necessarily a minute by minute thing but more like, on certain days at certain times I try to do "X" type of thing. For example; Lets say, I want to get better at my make-up, so 3 afternoons a week for the next 3 weeks I allow time specificly for that task which I commit to by writing off the time in my diary.(What ever it is)  In the past routine has served me well especially in times of stress.

I guess because I don't work anymore, I want to ensure I fill in my day with stuff that is going to help me with my transition rather than just wasting time "wandering aimlessly" through each day not sure of what to do next. I do not have an entire daily routine figured out but there are some definite benefits to having one, dependant on your situation in life. For me it might help me quantify what I have left to do before I go full-time.

Does anyone else have a routine or similar that they find works for them?

Liz

[FTMax]

Yes! I just had my wisdom teeth out last Tuesday so I've been going through a similar period of lacking routine, not being able to eat what I usually eat, not feeling up for most activities. It's definitely given me a renewed appreciation for the routine I've cultivated and the good it's done for me. I am so much less stressed with a routine. Most days I can tell you fairly accurately what I'll be doing within a given 30 minute window.

The only things that show up on the schedule every day of the week are eating and working out. I eat 7x a day in 2.5 hour intervals and I work out every day for an hour at 3:30.

Sundays are easy: in the morning I go to church, in the afternoon I inventory the kitchen, plan meals, go shopping, and cook, and in the evening I clean and get the house organized for the week.

Monday through Thursday: I wake up at 5, start working at 6, finish up around 11, come home and get settled, work on my own business for a few hours, take the dog for a long walk at 2pm, conference call at 3pm, workout at 3:30, shower, play games or watch movies for a few hours, read for an hour before bed, and asleep by 10 at the latest. The only minor difference between days is on Wednesday I go to Bible Study instead of playing video games in the evening.

Friday: Wake up at 5, start working at 6, finish at 8, come home and get settled, wrap up my FT work stuff for the week, conference call at noon, nap, long walk with the dog at 2pm, workout at 3:30, shower, plan out next week's activities for my business, go out to dinner, do some kind of social activity with my roommate or other friends, play games or watch movies for a few hours, then read before bed. Sometimes bed is significantly later than usual, other times it's the same as during the week.

Saturday is much more free form. Every other weekend my roommate and I go hiking if the weather is decent. If not, I do whatever I feel like. I still eat and workout as usual, and I do my T shot before bed, but that's about as scheduled as it gets.

I don't know that I would change anything about it at this point. In the coming months, I'll probably have to carve out more time for my business in the evening which may lead to Saturdays becoming exclusively netflix days. But I'm okay with that.