Happy New Year! If you are like me, you are probably really happy to be back into your normal routine this week.
My holidays were great! We were surrounded by family and friends and hosted and attended several gatherings to connect and catch up. I was thankful to have made lots of time to spend enjoying my beautiful children and to see the magic of the holidays through their eyes.
However, as Sunday approached and we got ready to start school again, I was thankful to fall back into our comfortable routine. You often hear experts say that children crave routine. Establishing a clear schedule is an important part of creating a sense of security and consistency for children.
Did you know that establishing routines is just as important for adults? The more you build routines around your workday and family life, the easier it is for you to achieve balance. In fact, a 2010 study conducted by the journal Sleep found that maintaining regular daily routines is associated with better sleep quality in adults. Think about it: when you are in your normal routine, it means that everything is ok. There are no crises or emergencies to deal with, your stress levels are in check, and you know what to expect. The more you know what to expect from your day and your week, the less time you need to spend planning.
Start the year by creating a weekly structure for recurring tasks. Failing to plan is planning to fail. A lot of people resist structure because they don’t want to feel like every second of every day is planned. The truth is, when you have a plan, you can always break it if something more important or urgent comes up.
I encourage you to spend some time over the next two weeks setting up routines for recurring tasks, then settling into a comfortable flow. And we will all be ready to break the routine again once February vacation rolls around.
