Return of the Routine

Jan 07, 2024

Hello, again friends,

I hope your year has been off to a good start, and that you got enough rest and quality time over the holidays. Now that the first full week of the new year has gone by, I definitely feel the effects of getting back into a routine (or at least trying to).

white printer paper with black pen — Photo by Daria Nepriakhina 🇺🇦 on Unsplash

I know I’ve touched on routines in previous letters, which I suppose just goes to show the importance of it to me. I don’t know about you all, but going back to a regular routine after vacation feels a little bit like getting hit by a bus. In more of a Regina George survives kind of way, but needs ample time to recover.

Settling into a restful state, as I personally think is the most natural for us humans, especially in the wintertime, is powerful. Breaking that pattern, just as any, is hard. Our brain’s only job can be reduced to seeing and recognizing patterns. There’s something to be said about the natural routines of our body versus the routines of an average society. That means waking up at 7 am every day isn’t exactly my cup of tea. But I do it anyway. Partially because I am a morning person at heart, and partially because I have to for my full-time job.

a blue bus driving down a street next to a tall building — Photo by Egor Litvinov on Unsplash

This naturally brings me to my next point- to change your life, in a big or small way, you have to start with your routine. Again, hard. But everything worth doing is hard, or so I’ve heard. By that, I don’t mean just changing your normal coffee drink, although who knows what kind of reality-altering effect that could have in the grand scheme of things.

One of my goals for this year is to get out of my comfort zone more, especially with like, leaving my apartment and going out and talking to people in real life. Who would have such a delusional idea? I can see how that simple change in my typical routine can make a big difference in the long run.

people crossing gray road — Photo by Gabe on Unsplash

I find myself trying to do the most, even when I’m sluggish and barely have the energy to hold a conversation. I do this because I believe that it’s integral to reaching my goals. I work my full-time job and incorporate working on my personal projects and endeavors into my routine. Whether that’s the most healthy? Who’s to say?

Long story short, I’m a tired girl. Or as some may say- I’m too eepy for all the change of the new year. I’m working on getting back to a routine that serves me. I hope that you are doing the same, or at the very least, surviving the routine that already exists.