Once I retired from my stressful work schedule, I realized that I needed to create my own routine. Drifting aimlessly from day to day wasn’t an option for me. I felt stressed and unfocused. Nothing got done!
A routine is essential part of a healthy life for three main reasons:
- Consistent meals, sleep and exercise keeps our bodies healthy. (No more forgetting to eat or sleeping-in every day)
- Reduces stress because we’re taking care of our bodies and because predictability is calming (ahhhh).
- Better focus and get more stuff done because the essentials are taken care of by our routine.* (check, check)
What a great opportunity this was! I got to build a healthy routine, to evaluate what things were important to me, and to consider how I wanted to feel during the day.
Step One
First, I listed the main categories for my routine: eating and sleeping, writing, meetings, exercise, chores, socializing, and creativity. Deciding on these categories involved taking some time to reflect on my goals and values.
Daily Energy Rhythm**
Next, an important component of creating a new routine was paying attention to my energy levels: what time of day worked best for the things that I wanted to get done.
This is where the birds entered the process. I considered my daily energy rhythms. I knew that I wasn’t a super early bird, and neither was I a night owl. I’m most mentally alert mid-morning. Planning to do intellectually taxing items after 3 pm would be signing myself up for frustration and failure. However, doing social activities and physical tasks in the afternoon were a welcome energy boost. Knowing this, I planned my walks and exercise classes in the afternoon. The evenings were usually best for my creative pursuits.
Creative Time
I found creative pursuits were an interesting mix of intellectually challenging and soothing. If the project was already planned and in the working stage, I could pick it up in the evenings and get the soothing benefits of working on something without having to think too hard. However, if I’d hit a snag in the project and I needed to do some problem-solving, that was best done when I was more awake, in the morning. So, I’d put that project away and grab a less demanding one.
By keeping my energy levels in mind when I created a new routine, it allowed me to make it enjoyable, healthy and sustainable. This was a great place to start developing my routine. It gave me the basic blocks, and allowed me to put them in my schedule where they worked best for my body.
How do your energy levels impact your routine? Comment below.
*https://www.psych.on.ca/Public/Blog/2025/The-Power-of-Routine-How-Establishing-Daily-Habits
Retired, And Now What? 