Virginia WaltonWe hear a lot about routine during the summer Olympics. Not just from the gymnastic perspective about floor routines but the media usually has stories and articles on the training routines of athletes. Routines are not just for athletes.
We all benefit from routines.
If you have kids, you probably have or had bedtime routines for them to help them make sure they developed habits like brushing their teeth and turning off lights. Yet, while we focus on these for our children, we forget how beneficial they are for us.
Think about your typical morning. Are you easing out of bed, calming sipping that first cup of coffee and getting ready for work? Or are you, slamming the alarm one more time, jumping out of bed, screaming for the kids to get ready, racing around to get everyone out of the house and praying that you have the lid on that travel mug as you race everyone out of the house?
My guess is most of us have some version of the latter. I did when I had a corporate job. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I was rushing to get my workout in, mediate, get ready and get out of the house on time.
Do you want to know the secret to having a morning that is less stressful and rushed?
A good evening routine. Yes, just like you instilled in your children or was instilled in you as child. Get ready for bed and have a bedtime.
If your first reaction, is I would love that, but I’m so busy I never seem to get to bed at a decent hour, I understand and have been there!
My first experience with a nutritionist involved tracking my food intake, activity and sleep. The first thing she told me was I was not getting enough sleep to support my activity so my body was holding calories for energy and that was why my weight was not improving. To which, I told her I could not get more than 5 hours sleep and do everything I had to do. Guess what, I was wrong.
Sleep is key.
Almost every article you read on healthy sleep will include having a consistent time for going to bed and getting up. The amount of sleep everyone needs vary. Start paying attention to how much you need to feel rested when the alarm goes off. That will determine when you should go to bed.
Next think about the things you need ready in the morning and try to prep as much as possible the night before. Some things could be, setting up the coffee pot, making lunch, making sure the kids have homework, projects, permission slips, sports equipment all together and ready for the next day, getting your outfit ready, cleaning up the kitchen so if you make breakfast you are starting with a clean space.If you are thinking, well by the time I get all of that done, it is well past my ‘bed-time’. I understand that too.
The third step is to look at the things you are doing every evening and say, which can I do in batch or skip so that I can save some time and get to bed.
Save time and make better food choices.
An example of a change I made was instead of making my lunch every evening, I started doing them in batch on the weekend. It saved me time when I got home from work not just to make them, but all of the clean up was done in one shot. Then I noticed that worked great, but dinner was a disaster because I would not want to cook dinner when I got home, so I started making my dinner in batch when I made lunches.
Maybe your change is to ask the kids about homework, sports, paperwork as soon as you get home so it’s out of the way before you start to get busy with dinner.
You will not find the ideal routine overnight.
What works best for you will be unique to you because your needs and schedule are unique. Keep adjusting until you find what works best for you. Remember it is a marathon, not a sprint! Train and adjust for long term success.
A steady routine for evening, your morning will improve and your stress level will improve.
Trust me! When I’m following my routine, I feel better mentally and physically not to mention I make better food choices which also improves how I feel. Also, remember you are human so some days will not go as planned and that is okay. Use these as an opportunity to re-enforce why you need and follow your routine. No one wins the gold medal the first time they try a sport, it takes time and practice to achieve great success.
Aren’t you worth more than a medal?