I originally published this in January, but it is so helpful for me I wanted to share again.
Routines are very important. Even if you do nothing else all
day, routines help you feel grounded and accomplished.
·
Why I
needed a daily routine:
1)
I wanted to start and end my day with a plan
already in place.
2)
It freed my mind to focus on other things.
·
What daily routines I have:
1)
Morning Routine
2)
Afternoon Routine
3)
Night Routine
4)
Homeschool Routine
5)
Children’s Routine
(The boys’ routine is posted in the hall. It helps them to be able to do
things on their own and to keep focused. )
·
How I decided what to include in my daily
routine:
1)
I made a list of what I thought would be great
to accomplish every day.
My list includes things such as:
Bible Study
Prayer
Exercise
Laundry
Family Time
Reading a book
2)
Then I decided when it would be the easiest to
accomplish each thing. For instance, I
knew I wanted to pray every morning and read a Psalm or Proverb so I assigned
that to my morning routine.
3)
Then I figured out how long it would take for me
to accomplish my goals that I had set and adjusted my bedtime and wake up time
accordingly.
·
How my days have changed:
1.
I am more intentional with my day.
2.
I get more accomplished.
3.
I have more energy.
4.
I have more patience.
5.
Our home is more peaceful.
6.
Our home has more consistency.
7.
Our home is more organized.
Extra Tips:
·
It is good to add fun and/or relaxing things to
your routines. For instance, I found
that stretching a few minutes when I wake up and before going to sleep really
makes me feel good. So I added that to
my routine. I also have lots of books that I want to read, so I added a few
minutes of reading time each day.
·
Make sure to write your routines and keep
them in a place that you will see them. This will get you in the habit of doing
it every day.
·
Try to schedule the same routine around the same
time each day. This will help with consistency.
·
If you have a baby or toddler, you can still
have a routine. You just might have to
be more flexible with it. I always felt better having a plan in place when I
had little ones, even if I could not follow my plan exactly. You can add
activities such as :
1.
Reading a book to your child
2.
Playing together with toys
3.
Free play
4.
Mommy/baby exercises
5.
Craft/or bake with your child
I am glad I decided to add daily routines in my day. Even
when I do not get around to my to-do list for the day, I know I have
accomplished a lot just by completing my daily routines. Also, with routines you
are also living each day to its fullest potential!
What are some activities you will add to your routine?
