The Power of Routine

The Neurodiversity Coach Newsletter

Welcome to The Neurodiversity Coach Newsletter. As an Executive Coach, Leadership Trainer and self-professed geek, I've had the opportunity to work with neurodiverse leaders and coach them through leadership and workplace challenges. Each week I share resources and insights for neurodiverse leaders and the rest of us.

In this issue, we explore the power of routine.

________________________________________________________________

The Power of Routine

It was one of the most exciting and challenging times in my life. In the span of less than a year, the coaching company I worked at full-time had gone out of business, my long-term love relationship had come to an end, I had travelled away from home more than been at home—doing solo international travel while also trying out new cities in America where I might want to live, and finally choosing and moving to Southern California. I remember waking up in the middle of the night not knowing where I was—only to realize I was in my own bed.

I didn’t even realize it at the time but looking back it is easy to see that I had completely changed my daily routines. It makes sense that I felt less sure-footed in my life.

One of my clients was having a similar experience when I spoke to him this week. Among several personal things he was dealing with, he also had just taken on leading people for the first time in his career, he had moved to a new country, and he was dealing with some health concerns.

Just like they were for me, stress and anxiety were daily partners.?

So, what is he going to do? That’s a good question for him and in the coaching space we explored what would make a difference for him—and he made some choices based on his uniqueness.?

To serve you—I think it may be helpful to share some of the potential ways that we might approach such moments. Specifically, moments where we discover that our actions and our ways of being are unsustainable for us mentally.?

Own that you got yourself here. Certainly, there are circumstances out of your control but in these moments, it is best to see clearly how YOU are responsible. This gives you such power to create something new.?

Look for a new perspective. This starts with diagnosing the perspective that you have right now. For me, I chose to go from seeing anxiety as my problem but for brief moments I could see it as my solution. It was calling me to action, and it was also helping me understand others in my life.?

Look for routines you could implement right now. I remember talking to a wise friend about routines who said, “you know they call them coping mechanisms for a reason.” Some routines that you might try.?

• Exercise—we all know that it makes a difference for us physically to get moving—but the truth is even deeper. Even 10 separate 1-minute exercises have been shown to change brain chemistry. That’s right—just move for a total of 10 minutes a day and you can do it for just 1-minute at a time. Anyone can do this. When I was at my lowest, I found CrossFit. It’s not for everyone but for me it was perfect. I show up and someone tells me what to do for an hour—and it’s hard, and I make friends, and I get little stronger. I love it.
• Make your bed. This simple act has a book written about it that made the NYT Bestsellers List. The idea that you make a promise to yourself, and you complete it every day can be life-changing. It’s also something you can do anywhere you are in the world.
• Wash the dishes. Sweep the floor. Take out the garbage. Clean the bathroom. Any menial task that needs to be done regularly can be turned into a routine.
• Journal, take up painting, write songs, play an instrument—truly any art form can become a routine.
• Join a club or a group of people and meet with them regularly. I went to meetup.com and found 6 groups to try and ended up sticking with only one of them in the end.?
• Some people create day-beginning routines, some meal routines, some day-ending routines. If you want to improve your sleep AND create some routines, look up “sleep hygiene” on Google and create some of that for yourself.?

What am I missing? Please share in the comments or get in touch with me .

The truth about this world is that we can’t control it. Also, the more we live on the edge in our lives, the more unpredictable it becomes. Routine gives us the chance to create some modicum of control in our lives and truly makes a difference for us mentally.?___________________________________________________

Neurodiverse Leadership Resource Library

Want more resources on neurodiversity leadership? We are finding and creating resources for you. Watch this section expand every week.

Jan 26: Nerds (and Geeks) are Leaders Too!

Feb 2: People are More Difficult than Algorithms

Feb 9: Your Straight Talk is NOT Authentic Leadership

Feb 16: The Trouble With Neurodiverse Leadership (Forbes Article)

Feb 23: Why Am I So Anxious?

Mar 2: What if My Neurodiverse Boss Sucks with People?

Mar 9: Neurodiverse Leaders and the Power of One on One Conversation

Mar 16: He Only Cares About Himself

Mar 22: Neurodiversity Makes For Better Leaders (Sometimes)

Mar 30: The Nerd Ceiling and Digital Body Language

_______________________________________________________

Staying In Touch

What leadership challenges are you facing??I’d love to hear from you - feel free to set up a time to chat here:?Let's talk!

Make sure you never miss an issue! Click the "subscribe" button in the upper right-hand corner of the page. For more articles and insights,?connect with me here.