Cultivating Routine
The Power of Routine
As we can all relate to, there is a quiet comfort in knowing what comes next. Think about your favorite mug you use in the morning, the familiar walking path that you take, or even the way your body settles into rhythms without needing to think too hard about them.
One the other hand, there also come days when what once grounded us suddenly feels heavy, constricting, or just out of sync. This tension that can arise is worth paying attention to because the greatest value of routines are their ability to support us, not contain us.
This tension can represent a internal request for value aligned change — let’s explore further.
Routine and Mental Health
At their core, routines offer the body and mind what it often craves: predictability. When life feels uncertain, overwhelming, or emotionally demanding, predictable elements in our day can act as anchors. These anchors represent safety that allow the body and mind to settle.
Routined behaviors reduce decision fatigue, conserve emotional energy, and create a sense of continuity when external circumstances feel unstable. This is especially important during times of stress, grief, transition or burnout. In these moments, routines are not about productivity or optimization, they are about stabilization and care.
Here is an important nuance: a routine is only supportive if it remains responsive to your current needs.
Flexibility and Structure
When discussing routines, it is important to note that rigid adherence without reflection can become yet another source of strain.
Our needs continually shift and sometimes this can feel subtle. Over time, and with respect to our circumstances, our bodies might need more rest, less stimulation, or greater moments of mindfulness — and at other times we might crave greater stimulation and activity. Our minds may need structure one week and greater spaciousness the next.
When we allow ourselves to periodically assess and adjust our routines, we transform them from obligations to well aligned anchors that support our continually evolving needs as people. This sort of flexibility reinforces self-trust and strengthens our ability to care for ourselves intentionally rather than feeling like we are on auto pilot.
Off The Page: Actioning The Insights
Discovering your anchors
Your Anchors (and when the time comes to pivot)
This week, I encourage you to observe elements of your everyday routine that ground you, support you, and give you a sense of balance. Notice their benefits, and observe if a pivot is necessary based upon your current context and what life is giving you.
Consider questions like:
What does this offer my body and mind?
Does this create grounding, energy, calm, or clarity?
How do I feel during and after this?
Throughout the week, check in:
What does my body and mind need more of right now?
What feels depleting instead of stabilizing?
Where might I be clinging to routine our of habit rather than care?
Sometimes the pivot is subtle like shortening a particular practice, softening your expectations, or changing the time of day. There might be moments where you recognize letting something go temporarily to make space for another aspect of life that you are prioritizing is the value aligned option.
Use curiosity and inquiry to get in touch with your needs and if a signal shows up that requires a pivot, know that the shift is not an example of inconsistency, but rather responsiveness to your evolving needs.
Thank You
Thank you for joining me this week! I’m excited to keep sharing insights from my work, research, and personal journey with you.
Did something resonate with you? Curious about applying these strategies in your life? Or know someone who might benefit?
Use the link below to schedule a consultation or forward this newsletter to a friend!
● I am asking for your support!
Adria Moses @ The School of Radical Healing
I’d like to pause this week to highlight someone very special to me — my friend Adria. She’s preparing for surgery as part of her ongoing healing from Crohn’s Disease and is seeking communal support along the way.
If you feel called, I invite you to learn more and consider supporting her journey below!
ADRIA — MOSES
“I’ve lived with Crohn’s Disease for most of my life. It’s invisible, unpredictable, and exhausting, and this January I’ll be having another major surgery. This time, I’m choosing to do it differently. I’m asking for help. I created a GoFundMe to support my healing — the time I’ll need to rest, the cost of care, and the essentials that make recovery possible.
I know I can’t do this alone. Every donation, every share, every word of encouragement makes a real difference.”
Extras
Let your voice be heard
Click the button below to share anonymous feedback on Mindful Monday. This will support me in continually bringing aligned insights that you all can action in your day to day life to witness a shift.
● New Reads in the Library!
I am currently reading The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt with my book club. This text takes a look at an epidemic of mental illness, that the author relates directly to how children are raised in contemporary times. [Insert your favorite joke about screen addicted generations here lol]
If you want to read along with us, feel free to snag this title from My Library to add to your own + feel free to share your thoughts with me!
If you are anything like me . . .
You might not just read one title at a time. If so, you can check out another book I am currently reading (and enjoying) — Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin.
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Explore the Shop
Passionate about wellness? I am currently partnered with two brands that focus on the creation of products to support individual wellness. Navigate the links below to learn more!
Soothing, slightly weighted, pre-shrunk materials that provide comfort and calm as you take on your everyday.
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