Are You Living Your Routine—or Just Surviving It?
by Nanci Bradley
Life gets busy. We dart from thing to thing, constantly ticking items off our to-do list but never really reaching the end of it. We are always doing, never truly stepping back from the busyness and the noise to actually take a breath. We get stuck in the habit of living, of our daily routines, our mindless tasks.
But what if we were able to step off that treadmill for a second?
What if we were able to actually look around ourselves?
What if we were able to consciously take action, rather than letting our unconscious processes rule our life?
Living as a Habit
Most of our lives are spent following the same routines. We have our morning routine, and our regular route to work, our usual work responsibilities, and our evening routine. And then we sleep (in the best case scenario) and do it all again the next day.
Now, I would be an absolute hypocrite if I took a stance against routines. I love routines!
However, I would like to ask you a few simple questions:
Is your routine working for you?
Is it bringing you joy? Does it have space for something new and exciting within it?
Or is it more often filled with boredom, frustration, resentment, stress and worry?
Routines are amazing, when they are designed to actually work for your highest good. When they are designed for YOU rather than to just get through the day and get everything done for everyone else.
Taking a Step Back
I would invite you to begin reflecting on your daily routines. Which aspects do you feel actually benefit you, which aspects are necessary and which can be changed.
Perhaps your morning routine flows really well – you have a moment to take a breath while having your morning coffee, before diving into organising the household. Maybe it allows everyone to get out of the house on time (mostly) and to the places they need to be for the rest of the day.
But, perhaps your evening routine has room for improvement. Maybe you are constantly on the go from the moment you get home to the moment you lie down in bed – and then all the thoughts, feelings and stresses of the day come rushing in, ending with you struggling to fall asleep.
Your routine is a deeply personal thing – maybe there is not much room for movement or change, or maybe you can begin a complete overhaul.
The important thing is to begin making it a conscious process, rather than a habit.
Becoming Conscious
In an ideal world, we would be aiming to become conscious of every single second of every single day. Being fully present in your body at this moment.
However, realistically this isn’t always possible, especially not straight away.
It is a skill to be practiced, like any other.
Instead, I would invite you to pick a time of your day when you can begin practicing this skill – maybe it’s while you are cooking dinner, on your commute, in the shower, or just as you wake up.
And in that moment, begin to become aware of your breath, of the thoughts moving through your mind, of the sensation of being within your body.
I like to think of this as a reset button for my entire soul, reminding myself of why I am doing what I am doing, the intention behind each aspect of my routine.
Not only does this allow a sense of being more centred and grounded, but it can also help you become more conscious in your decision making. Beginning to take a breath and really check in with yourself before agreeing to something.
Summary
Life today often moves at a fast pace, filled with busy schedules and constant demands, leaving little room to feel grounded in our body, mind, or emotions. That’s why it’s so important to intentionally carve out space—whether by shifting our routines or simply pausing to take a conscious breath whenever we remember.
Begin your journey today!
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