Reclaiming Routines
It’s nice to slow down and see things from another perspective.
Hello Again, Friends:
Are you a lover of routines? Or do you thrive on spontaneity? Our lives are often an eb and flow between structure and chaos. Getting it together and having things fall apart. The pandemic shifted many of our routines drastically. For the month of April my monthly theme was "Reclaiming Routines" both in terms of stepping out into the world more and getting back on track after a spring break staycation.
Since March 2020 there has been a lot of talk about returning to “normal”. I never liked that wording, because this pandemic experience changed me. It opened my eyes to new things, or things that I choose not to see, and it broke open my heart. So instead of returning to "normal" (whatever that means?), I am "Reclaiming Routines" lost in the shuffle of the past few years. My focus is both on the practical and the spiritual. These are routines for getting stuff done AND feeling in true alignment.
On the practical side of things, I am working more errands into my weekly routines. As a result, I finally sold the train table, mentioned in February's post for a whopping $20.71. The truth be told, I just wanted it out of the house and offered it for free to a few friends with young kids, who politely declined. I am glad they felt comfortable saying "no thank you" as the last thing I want to do is burden anyone with my stuff. Wouldn't that be ironic? And, a little quick tip here....NEVER assume someone wants your hand-me-downs. Always, always, ask first AND take no for an answer if that's the case. There's always another way to let go of stuff.
Other practical weekly routines include work with clients, writing, administrative work, cleaning, laundry, gardening (now that the weather is nice) along with all that is involved with being a wife and mother. Many days, it feels like A LOT. And it is. Somedays, I get overwhelmed with my responsibilities, perhaps just like all of us. The easy answer would be to outsource more. However, our budget right now doesn't allow for much outsourcing of tasks, so I do my best to keep things running as smoothly as can be expected and turn a blind eye to some things.
My personal health and spiritual routines help me feel less overwhelmed, even when things turn into a hot mess either in the outside world or inside my own home or mind. Since 2015, I have started most mornings with meditation. Currently, I am on a 200+ day streak with the free version of the Insight Timer app. I am including the days that I fall asleep in meditation, because it counts, right?
After my morning meditation, it would be lovely to move into my other practices of reading, journaling, walking or yoga and drinking tea slowly. However, most days I have kids to get off to school or buy groceries or take care of another random task. So, on a good day, I pick up these practices for just a few minutes after the kids are off to school. On a day that is more full, my tea comes with me in the car or I scrawl a couple of lines in my journal before drifting off to sleep.
These routines are perfectly imperfect. After more than two years of self imposed isolation, that felt really good at first for my introverted nature, I am starting to seek genuine connection in ways that work for me. My letter writing challenge is still on track. I have added dog walks with friends (no dog required) and keep track of my attempts to reach out in ways that feel good, lest I become a recluse.
That all being said, I have room in my reclaimed routines for another virtual client, or two, and am open to working with groups as well. Please feel free to reach out!
All my best,
Carolyn
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