The Importance of Routines

The odd thing is, I fee, for the first time really, I understand what it is to be happy ~ Lady Mary, Downton Abbey

If you followed me here from my author blog and twitter account, you might know that about a month ago my husband of eight and a half years ago decided to separate. In one second, my life seemed like it was falling apart, but once I calmed down and now that a bit of time has passed, I relate to the Downton Abby quote.

People in my support system constantly ask me, how are you doing all of this? This is a major stressor and you’re handling it remarkably well.

The answer: my routines.

Ever since I got serious about writing in 2012, routines have helped to push my writing career forward, resulting in publication in 2013. Although I’ve been a bit dormant in the last seven or eight months that culminated in the decision to get a divorce, the routines put in place three or four years ago come back easily. Now I have to adapt and add new routines in the mix.

For example, I have chores like cleaning the cat box and taking out the trash that I never had to do. I could also get out of cleaning up the kitchen more times than not. I have to make time for those chores every day. (If you haven’t noticed, my posts on routines almost alway bleed over into boundaries…and posts on boundaries almost always murk across the line between into routines).

There are some additional recovery practices I have been working on since October as well. There are daily readings, Al-Anon meetings, and new books that I want to read, in addition to the genre fiction I read. Again, I have the same twenty-four hours a day that every one else does.

Life is calming back down and becoming more manageable again, thanks to the peace and solace that my routines bring to me.

Has there ever been a stressful time in your life or dream journey that your established routines helped you get through the situation? I’d love to hear!



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Can't get enough of the 5 Steps? Look at the archives in my original blog:

Develop and Follow Routines