Routines: Let's Get Down to Basics

I can’t tell you how many hours I have spent researching the “perfect” routine. Or how many Agendas, notebooks and pens I have bought throughout the years trying to perfect just that. It’s insane really, the daily struggle, stress and overwhelming need to “do it all”. Thinking if we can just “get it right” we’ll feel better and more accomplished. I am here to say; you can NOT do it all. There is no magic fix, and frankly there very well may not be enough hours in a day to accomplish everything you set up to do. And you know what? That’s okay!

As a working mom of three girls, I need to make sure that not only my needs are met but those of my children too; heck even my doggo! The ever energetic and people loving Aussie/Husky Pup: River.

You’ll find Blog posts galore that tell you about the daily grind, and here’s “my perfect routine”, “How I became a morning person”, “5 things to do every morning”, I think you get the just. These are all well and good and they may very well give you some ideas on how you want to manage your life. But they aren’t YOUR routine, and really they aren’t based on you as an individual or your family’s needs. 

So then why make a post about Routines? Well, like I said in my Intro post; “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, you have to find something, a goal if you will, that you want to set yourself up with. To accomplish these goals, whether that is lifestyle, work, or your garden, you have to set up healthy habits and routines to get yourself on the right track. While I can’t tell you what the perfect routine is, I can help you make your own and share with you my tips, tricks and tools I use to try and manage this hectic thing we all call life.

Let’s start with the “Basics”. You need to figure out what you need to do everyday, before you start adding more to your ever filling plate. Then we can build from there. The first and most important thing to set up in a routine or habit, is YOU. What do you need? Fundamentally we all need the following things:

Ideally 7-8 hours of sleep (some are lucky to function on 6)

Healthy Eating Habits

Exercise

Self Care

Yes, I added Self Care. We aren’t talking about what you need to do for your family, friends or anyone else. If you’re not cared for, you can not and will not be able to help anyone else. It took me years to learn this fundamental lesson of life. Frankly, no truer words have ever been spoken.

When making up my routine I start with a list and at the beginning keep it basic. I love lists, I make and use them for EVERYTHING. Do not underestimate the power of a good list. I divide the things I want/need to do in the following Categories: Health, Self Care, Cleaning, Children/Family. 

As you can see this really isn’t very big, it is literally the BARE MINIMUM I have to do each day. Now we need to put it into action. Once you have the basics down you can eventually build on whatever else you need to do. As you can see below I can now divide it into Morning vs Evening.

But WAIT not everything from my list has been put into my routine! Why? Because YOU are not the only person in your house old. Fortunately, I have a Partner that will make the girls lunches for School, and bathe the youngest during the day. However, he is usually working most nights so the “Night time” routine falls to me. I also didn’t add the maintenance/cleaning of the living room or bathroom. That is because those tasks fall to my two eldest girls as part of their chores. The two will tidy up the living room and the Eldest, will tidy/wipe down the Bathroom when she is done with her shower. YOU are not alone. Given, if you’re a single parent, single, or are child free this can look very different. Not every situation is the same. But keep it basic! Do not feel like you have to do EVERYTHING, it is NOT realistic or healthy for your mental health and well being.

On top of all this, some days may have different needs, and things need to be changed around or cancelled altogether. That’s okay! The Basic Routine you saw above, is my Monday, Wednesday and Friday Routine. These are the day’s I am in office but even then things still change. For example V does Gymnastics on Monday Nights, some things have to be forgotten or off loaded onto someone else; as you can see below.

Now that you have an idea on where to start on a routine you can action it. Don’t just make your routine and the next morning try to action the whole thing like some Superhero. Start with one thing at a time until you have mastered that Habit before moving on to the next. Depending on how you are as an individual you can have your basic routine mastered in as little as a week or it can take a few months. Psst… My own routine isn’t even mastered yet!

Routines are a great way to manage stress, your mental health and give you a sense of some self control in a world where we may feel we have none. As an individual with ADHD; routines and lists allow me to not feel so overwhelmed with everything I have to do in a day. With a little practice your routines will become habitual and become second nature. 

Remember to always keep it simple, make the perfect routine for YOU. Try not to time yourself and make yourself feel like you have a deadline. Start with the more important tasks and if something gets left behind, leave it there. There are other days, and moments to conquer that mountain. Or maybe that mountain doesn’t need to be conquered at all. Life is too short to live in the fast lane, take it slow. And remember to breathe. 

With Love Always,

MamaiCailleach/GoddessTeacup