[GR] Routines
Routines are a great way to stay motivated and organised in life!
Sleep schedules, working out, study plans, personal hygiene, friends, family, and all other aspects of life can be fit into a routine.
Unfortunately it can sometimes be overwhelming to make the right routine, get into it, and then stick to it!
That's why we're here! Join us this Monday the 17th of September at 7:30pmAEST for a chat on making and sticking to a routine!
Replies will open on Monday 🙂
Welcome everyone 🙂 Tonight our chat is all about ROUTINES! 😄
I'm facilitating the chat tonight with the lovely @Jess1-RO & we have some builders who are going to help us out too @scared01 @Libellule @gezellig
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@Blurryphaced @litgym @HumanVoice @annabethxchase @rudeandginger @Supreme-Leader-Sun you're all online, would you like to come and join us to talk about Routines?
mmm i both do and dont like routines. i really like the variety of changing it up abit each day. im pretty flexible though so can work both with or without a routine. atm i do have a routine and the best part is it is making sure i actually get up and out of bed each morning as its soemthing ive bene struggling with lately
@scared01 I honestly think that getting up and out of bed is, a lot of the time, one of the hardest things to do as part of a routine. But then at the same time, it can often end up being the most rewarding!
Hey @gezellig! I am the exact same. I'm very strict with my sleep schedule now so that I can wake up easier. It was so hard to get into but I'm glad I did 🙂
2. What type of routine do you have? What are the benefits to having a routine?
I have different routines for different times of day. Every morning I have the same wake up routine which helps me get ready for the day. I also have a start of work routine and a wind down routine at night. I find it helpful because it gives my body and brain time to adjust to what I am doing at each time of day
So true @scared01! Structure can be so helpful in getting out of bed in the morning 
@Bee How did you go adjusting to having less routine? You mentioned planning some things to do like coming on RO, do you find that planning some activities like that helps with your day?
Yes I find coming online, planning GR's or other activities and responding to people helps break up my day and gives me a sense of doing something worthwhile 🙂
@scared01 haha I really like that GIF
How can Routines be beneficial to our mental health?
As others have already mentioned, routines give some structure to the day and can also allow time for relaxation, which is important for mental health. I do yoga sometimes, and there was a period of time when I would do it almost everyday. It was helpful for my mental health as I felt calmer and it felt good having something to look forward to each day. Setting some time for hobbies can be helpful especially if you tend to neglect them for studies and stuff.
Scheduling time for hobbies and relaxation is so important @cupcakes_032! Love the idea of scheduling yoga everyday, making time for relaxation can make a huge difference to wellbeing
How can we get into a good routine?
Having a plan and the self-discipline to carry it out when you don't feel like it. Putting the plan somewhere easily accessible - a lot of times I forget I have a schedule which doesn't really help! Also, allowing for flexibility - I struggle with this the most because I just want to follow a set routine and am not sure how to accommodate for things that unexpectedly come up. I guess I can be less 'black and white' about it and try to be okay with not being able to do everything in the schedule sometimes... Having a routine would be helpful to do things I want to do, and doing only some of those things is still better than not doing any at all (I've been feeling like this lately, feeling like I don't have much routine).
@Jess-RO brought up a good point about motivation which helped me realise something - having set times for work/study and rest would be helpful because if you're having a tough time with the work/study part, it's good to know that there's an end time for it and that there's a set time for rest to look forward to!
5. What roadblocks/difficulties have you experienced while trying to get into a routine and how have you overcome them?
I think the biggest challenge for me has been not to "over routine". There was a time where I had nearly every hour of my day mapped out, and that wasn't a realistic goal. When anything threw my routine out of whack, I struggled to motivate to keep going. I think giving time for things that come up spontaneously is really important. Life can be unexpected at times, and I needed to adjust and become comfortable with change to my routine sometimes. While it felt uncomfortable at first, over time I felt more and more comfortable with loose structure as opposed to really rigid time frames for myself, which made routine more sustainable
@gezelligthat's the pomorado technique! 🙂 I absolutely love yours and @Jess1-RO answers too! 😄
@cupcakes_032 you beat me to it! 😛
What roadblocks/difficulties have you experienced while trying to get into a routine and how have you overcome them?
I haven't overcome them, but I've learned some tips from today
- Not feeling motivated to do it -> realising there will be an end time and time to rest later on
- Not sure how to accommodate for unplanned events -> it's okay not to do everything on the schedule, prioritise the important things of those that are remaining for that day
4. How can we get into a good routine?
I always love this saying "fake it till you make it" with routine! It has taken practice and finding what way to make routine work for me. Trying different ways of planning the day can be helpful such as writing, using an app, talking to someone else and agreeing on a plan or using software to make tick boxes. Whatever works for you!
I also think it's important not to be too hard on yourself either- there are some days where I just can't get everything done when I wanted to, and that's okay! Sometimes giving yourself some room for change and flexibility in a routine is necessary to maintain it in the long term
So true about how motivating it is to be accountable to someone or something @Asche
Practice. When starting a new routine, it takes time for your body and mind to fall into the routine to continue carrying it out.
Question 5) What roadblocks/difficulties have you experienced while trying to get into a routine and how have you overcome them?
