Practical Ways to Combat Stress When Routine is Lost

Life is unpredictable and sometimes things surface that disrupt all aspects of our life – work, entertainment, exercise, school, and travel.  When our life get disrupted, our daily routine can disappear.  

I never really thought my routine made a difference.  I used to remember desiring the day it would change and how refreshing that would feel. I found that when routines are disrupted for too long or we struggle with establishing a routine, feelings of frustration, confused, and nervous surface.

I’m sure you relate!  Maybe your daily routine has been torched.  Perhaps you remember the moment a vital aspect of your routine ended, and you noticed stress levels increased, or you just felt “out of sorts.” 

Interestingly, there are legit reasons why the loss of routine impacts our lives.  Researchers are discovering psychological benefits associated with routine.  Some of those benefits include easing bipolar disorder, ADHD, and even insomnia.  When routines are impacted, stress levels increase. Often, the loss of routine and heightened stress manifests itself in different ways.  Examples may include increased family conflict,  lack of motivation, fixation on when will things return to normal, decreased appetite, overeating, or reduction in productivity. 

I don’t want to sound like I’m oversimplifying, but the goal is to add routine back into your life! 

How do we deal with the increased stress connected to the loss of a daily routine? Here are a few suggestions. 

1.     Schedule the Daily Tasks.   All of us have certain daily events and scheduling them restores routine.  For example, meals, laundry, cleaning, paying bills might not be super exciting, but instead of waiting for them to happen, schedule a time for them.  Adding them to a schedule creates routine and accomplishing them reduces anxiety. 

2.     Acknowledge Worry So It Doesn’t Monopolize Your Time.  Recently someone said to me, “I constantly worry all day. Nothing feels solid.  Every day something changes, and it creates more anxiety.”  Worry is monopolizing the day!  Instead of worrying all day, set aside a time once or twice a day for about 20 – 30 minutes to focus on the issues causing you stress and the ways to deal with those issues. Some people like to journal during that “thinking time.”  Other’s like to make a to-do list and schedule a specific time to complete the tasks.  What you may discover is the cause of your constant worry really only revolves around a couple of things.  Identifying those causes and resolving them can make a big difference. 

3.     Schedule Something You Enjoy Every Day.  There is something you enjoy doing.  Maybe it’s reading, exercising, walking the dog, talking to a friend, baking, gardening, or something else.  Unfortunately, the things that bring us the most joy often get delayed and ultimately neglected.  Schedule time every day to do at least one thing that brings you joy and protect that time.  Don’t let it get pushed off your schedule or replaced by something else.  Nothing is more important than that one thing that brings you joy!  Do it! 

If you need help reducing the stress in your life or establishing a routine, I am available to talk with you.  

Until next time!