Restoring Routines
There's something about November for me that feels like a respite between the hectic days of early fall and the holidays. I've always loved the looser schedule of summer, no set time for dinner, making the most of warm, lighter evenings, but by the end of the season I have to admit I appreciate dropping back into routine.
As I've gotten older I've begrudgingly admitted that I feel better when I'm following somewhat of a regular schedule, although it's taken me years to accept it. I've always identified as someone who preferred to "go with the flow" in many respects and noticed my "inner rebel" would balk at rigid structure, even if it was probably the better choice for me.
After some recent travel to visit my daughter in Ashland, Oregon where she is enrolled in an institute of massage therapy, my sleep, digestion and mood suffered. I also noticed that some of the more uncomfortable symptoms of menopause flared up in a way they hadn't before.
I was talking to a friend who studies ayurveda, (the health care system connected to yoga) and she reminded me how a regular routine can be very balancing and calming in the face of transition. We are more affected by change than we realize. It isn't just travel that can affect our systems, shorter days and cooler weather can affect everything from how we digest certain foods to how we handle stress.
While I still experience some resistance, I've befriended my inner rebel enough to know that I can embrace what's good for me and still feel free. In fact, when (non-rigid) routines are in place, we can actually experience more freedom in our minds because we don't have to use so much energy making decisions about what comes next; we've established routines for our mornings, workdays and evenings so our nervous systems know some of what's coming each day, resulting in less stress and anxiety, easier sleep, and a better perspective.
For the last month I've put my routines back in place and my friend was right, I feel so much better and the hot flashes have even stopped for now!
Dr. BJ Fogg wrote a book a few years ago called "tiny Habits" that also helped me to create a supportive schedule for my days. He suggests connecting some of the positive habits we'd like to develop to things we already do every day. For example, in an effort to increase strength training, he did 10 pushups after using the bathroom at home, and he repeated a kind thought to himself each time his feet hit the floor in the morning.
His advice inspired me in a few ways. I take my dog, Bowie, for a walk every morning, so I started to connect my mindfulness practice to that walk. Rather than listen to any audio or use my phone, I use the time to be present with what is outside and within me. It's been a wonderful way to start the day.
Because of how movement has supported my mental health, I make it my number one priority and have connected movement to several other tasks that are already habitual. I like to lie in bed for at least 15 minutes before waking up, so I use the time to move the joints of my body. (I've filmed so many variations of this incredibly supportive anxiety reducing movement in my member's resource.)
I also move around a lot while I'm making the bed, boiling my hot water and brushing my teeth. I probably look funny rolling my shoulders and lunging around the house, but I know the quality of my thoughts improves greatly after I've treated myself to the kind of movement I teach.
If you're resonating with the idea of routine as remedy, (especially since we change the clocks again this weekend!) I'm releasing a series of 5 short videos next week, beginning Monday, November 7th in my therapeutic resource for members, Worrier to Warrior Yoga Therapy.
The series- Restoring Routines- will invite you to explore adding easy movement, mindfulness and meditation to your supportive schedule. And for the remainder of 2022, you can try out the resource for free for 14 days before deciding to join!
The Worrier to Warrior resource is the most meaningful thing I do with my time. My members and I gather once a week for a 75 minute therapeutic practice, a monthly deeper dive workshop, and I am continuously creating practices in a variety of lengths and themes to address everything from hip pain and anxiety, to digestive and sleep issues.
If you choose to give it a try, you'll get to experience Restoring Routines, AND, you can attend November's workshop this Sunday morning which will be focused on providing yourself with relaxation skills before the inevitable heightened momentum at the end of the year.