Let's talk about... routines

Don't you have a morning routine? Damn, that says a lot about you.

Does it really?

Since 2017 or 2018, I have struggled with the idea of routines. I feel like so much around us conditions us to the idea that we are not organized or successful if we don't have a consistent routine, especially in the morning.

One big factor as to why I felt that way was, for example, those Enterprise articles or interviews with CEOs on their morning routines.

I would be just minding my own business on LinkedIn, and then I see an article by Enterprise talking to an entrepreneur about their ?morning routine?, and it always went something like this:

"Oh, I basically wake up at like 4 AM, have a super healthy breakfast, meditate, go for a run, take a shower, spend time with family, then go to my company, leave super early cause I'm all about that work-life balance, then go to the gym and work out, then go do yoga, then..."

And it would baffle and overwhelm me that they can do all of that every morning consistently, and I couldn't.

But do they really?

When I was once discussing one of those interviews with a friend, they pointed out that they could, very possibly, be just saying that for the sake of being interviewed by a major organization.

Now, I'm not calling them liars (please don't sue me), but I do want to talk about the kind of pressure that puts us under.

My journey with routines

I started thinking that I need a routine to be successful around 6 or 7 years ago, so I would literally try to write it down, download apps that should help, and, of course, with the example set in front of me being so high, I would also aim high.

Add like 10 steps to my morning routine because why the fuck not?

This always worked for exactly one week.

The problem with routines is...

Our energy and priorities change every single day. On some days, you could have the energy to conquer the world, and, then, on other days, you can't even get out of bed.

(Both are totally okay)

But the problem here is that whenever my energy was low and my mental health was compromised, not being able to keep up with that routine made me feel even worse, and I would stop altogether, and then feel like shit about it.

Routines are supposed to make you feel happy and put together, however...

The reality is...

The pressure you have because of wanting to be like those entrepreneurs who have their lives together but not being able to at some point it makes you feel like a failure.

And it did. It always made me feel like I'm failing at being organized.

I even once discussed it with my therapist, but then her response shocked me.

While I thought she was going to tell me that routines are important, and that I do need one, but the truth is that she told me that this pressure to have a routine is affecting my mental health and is quite unnecessary, and that maybe I should take it slow.

The idea relieved me.

Let's talk about the pressure.

The pressure and the hustle and the constant need to do something because everyone is doing it is exhausting.

You need to be healthy cause everyone is doing it. You need to hustle and work overtime because everyone is doing it.

You need to have a consistent routine and a relaxed life and somehow work your ass off yet magically still have a life because everyone is doing it and if you don't then you're failing.

Who the hell set that standard?

Slow and steady wins the race.

Take a step back from the hustle culture and enjoy the slow life; it's okay to do so.

It's okay to take your time and appreciate the morning without shoving a thousand steps into it.

It's fine to take your time and take it step by step.

You don't have to run. No one is chasing you.

You can look at all that pressure and decide it's not for you, and that's totally okay.

So what's my morning routine?

I wake up at 7AM or 10AM depending on my how I'm feeling on that day.

A while back, I started brewing energy tea when I wake up and going into the balcony in the fresh air and bright sun for at least 15 minutes. No phone, no emails, just me, my tea, and nature.

I enjoyed this and noticed it made a huge difference to my mental health, so I started doing it every day.

And it naturally became a routine. It's not forced, it's not something I did because everyone told me I should, it's just something I felt made me feel better so I started doing it every day.

That's how routines should be. Not a big ass list that you approach all at once. Not a whole process that you wake up especially for.

This is what I do every morning: some quiet time in the sun. Sometimes, I also take my planner and plan out my day. Sometimes, I journal. Sometimes, I read.

But none of it is forced.

So... yeah. My morning routine is not that consistent nor organized, but it's what fits me right now, and that's the whole point of it.

What's your morning routine?

Oh, shit, I forgot. Today's cup of coffee was a Mocha as usual!