I have a love-hate relationship with routine. The monotony of it bores me and I find it anything but stimulating. On the other hand, there is some comfort in doing things in a particular order. Thinking is not as involved because it is familiar and there is less chance of decision fatigue. I’m realizing that I prefer the word rhythm to the word routine to talk about things I do (almost) daily. It has a sense of ease about it, not as strict. My mind (and soul) rebels a little at the confining thought of doing the same things over and over.

I would like to share some of my daily rhythms with you – the ones that I am good at doing every day, the newer ones I am trying to incorporate, and the ones I try to do daily but often fail.

The Good:

I cannot go a day without reading. Winding down after a long day with a good book is lifegiving and a comfort to my soul. Even when I am drop-dead tired, I must read at least a few lines before dozing off. It is a necessity for me.

I dabbled in mindfulness before I had my stroke. A breathing exercise here, some yoga there – if I remembered. Now, it is a (mostly) daily occurrence. I incorporate breathing exercises when I am stressed and need to calm down. I do a sleep meditation most days and I have found it helpful when I can’t calm my mind down and let the day go. It helps me focus and making it a regular part of my life has been helpful.

Something that I have tried to do daily most of my life, with varying amounts of success, is daily Bible reading. I have done devotionals and reading plans. Some faithfully and some abandoned along the way. This year, I chose to do The Bible Recap. It is a one-year, chronological reading plan with a daily podcast. I am happy to say that this is one plan I have been able to stick with and it has been so meaningful to me.

The New:

I admit it, I hate to exercise. But after my medical scare, I’ve realized the need to just do the thing and do it regularly. Lockdowns put a crimp in daily walks, plus it can get really cold here in the winter. I did find something that I actually enjoy doing (I can’t believe I am even saying the word enjoy) just a couple of months ago and it is easily added to my day. I’m doing walking workouts by two different folks on YouTube, Walk at Home by Leslie Sansone and growwithjo. I have been able to consistently do these videos 3 to 5 times a week. Let’s hope I will keep it up.

I am also doing my best to eat better. I am doing Noom. I don’t have amazing overnight results to share with you, but I am seeing gradual changes in my eating habits and my general thoughts toward food. They use a cognitive behavioral therapy and coaching approach instead of focusing on exercise and eating the right foods. Those are both important but so are your thoughts and feelings. This program looks at all. the. things. If you want to try it, use my code. Full disclosure, I receive a gift card for everyone who signs up.

Oh, I Try:

I have big goals and aspirations of writing daily to improve my craft and process my day. I just haven’t made this a priority. I was pretty gung-ho at the beginning but work and life demands have made it easier to push this one to the back. I even downloaded the Morning Pages app because writing in longhand is more difficult for me now. I use it sporadically.

Hitting my daily step goal is getting easier now that I have introduced a walking program. I am improving at this but I have yet to be consistent. But I am getting there. Slow and steady.

I need a solid 7 to 8 hours of sleep to function well. I probably average closer to 7 hours a night. But lately, my app is showing something along the 6-hour range (and even 5, yikes!) I need to start going to bed earlier. I know getting more sleep will help in many areas of my life but it is so easy to get lost in a good book!

There you have it – a snapshot of some of my rhythms. I am sensing that rhythm is the right word because I don’t thrive when I have rigid, constrictive constraints. These are things that I try to do regularly but I am not going to stress if I miss it once in a while.

What are some of your daily rhythms? Are you trying to introduce anything new? Let me know in the comments below.

This post was focused on the word daily. Click on the links below to read other posts on the same word.

Kids Sleep Meditation: 6 Daily Practice Dos and Don’ts by Ashley Olivine

https://louvaria.com/kids-sleep-meditation/

A Day in the Life of a Nurse Practitioner by Amy Cobb

https://www.tayloredintent.com/blog/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-nurse-practitioner

Lessons from Daily Bread by Dianne Vielhuber

https://simplewordsoffaith.com/2021/09/01/lessons-from-daily-bread/

Daily Conversations with God by Sharla Hallett

www.sharlahallett.com/daily-conversations-with-god/