Routines ….. the value of having one, and the danger of falling down the hole of procrastination and possibly even anxiety/depression if you do not!
School provides a natural routine for both students and teachers, an ordered predictability to the day that provides a sense of security. And suddenly here we all are, left floundering, with no boundaries or definitive time structures to stick to anymore.
I’m guessing that to begin with this felt blissful, we could lie in in the mornings, stay up late at night, endlessly binge watch box sets with no thought of having to get up. I don’t know about anybody else here, but for me, this ‘freedom’ very quickly started to wear thin!
If you think back to the routines you had, of getting up in the morning to go to school, and having a set time to do homework. Remember how those routines quickly became natural habits, not something that needed considering or thinking about. Research shows that when we do something habitually we become good at it, which leads to a sense of mastery (even if this isn’t fully realised at the time). So it’s easy to understand how the unpredictability of this present time may feel anxiety provoking or depressing.
Developing a routine that works for you will provide an anchor of predictability, something solid to ground you in these tough and uncertain times! Building a routine though, is not instant, it takes time to construct and dedication to stick to and there also needs to be a reason to make it feel worth developing in the first place!
Science has proven a strong connection between routines and good mental health. The reason for this is that when we organise ourselves and know what to expect, we are more equipped to be able to challenge and counteract unhelpful thoughts. A routine also helps us to feel safe because we have a much clearer idea of what is coming and what we can expect. It also helps us to incorporate physical exercise into our day which means we will feel tired and sleep well at night. An interrupted sleep cycle as well as being difficult is also a well known precursor for mental health difficulties.
But a routine isn’t just about getting school work completed, it is most importantly of all, about making sure that all aspects of a happy healthy life are met and satisfied.
Solid ground - where before there was school to ground you in the academic work needed to progress, this is no longer the case. It is now up to every individual to put a routine of their own in place. It doesn’t have to be relentless and it certainly doesn’t have to be for the same number of hours as school was. There is an old Chinese proverb that says ‘just commit to doing something for five minutes and the rest will follow.’ (Try it and see), if you can only manage five minutes, so what, five minutes is better than no minutes. You may find difficulties with the understanding of some subjects, if this is the case allow time in the routine of your day to ask for support but also accept that some things will have to be left and dealt with on your return to school, it will be perfectly possible to catch up! Be realistic in what you can do in a day, an over ambitious routine can be as unhelpful as not having one at all!
Support and nurturing - we all need to stay connected with other people, (some more so than others), but communicating and staying connected to family, friends and the people that are important is a basic human need. Building this kind of support into your daily routine means that you will feel less stress. Sharing and caring really is the best way to decompress and stay grounded in reality.
Growth - we all have things that we like to do, that feel important for our own well being. For one person this may be sitting down with a cup of tea at a certain time of day to watch a tv programme, for another it could be having time in the evening to read a book or do some exercise. It is easy to leave this important aspect of life out of a routine, but it is actually a really important one to make sure that you do include. It is what provides the balance between what you have to do and what you choose to do....both are essential for maintaining an all round routine that works for you and that you will want to stick with.
To develop your own routine, sit down with a pad and pen and write down all the things you have to do in a day and all the things that you want to do. Incorporate when and how you will stay connected to the people that are important to you. Carefully consider what works for you as an individual, your particular lifestyle, family imposed or otherwise. Think about your natural inclinations, are you an early riser? Do you need a certain amount of time just to sit and dream?
Once you have your routine up and running, allow some time for it to become established, (and don’t beat yourself up if you occasionally slip). Once it starts to feel like second nature (habit), do a little check in with yourself and ask ‘is this working for me?’ ‘Is there anything I need to change.’ Keep it fresh, keep it on trend and make sure that it keeps working and is still serving you well.
