How to reset your routine

I wrote briefly last week in our newsletter about realizing that I had gotten out of my routines and fallen into more unhealthy patterns. Between the new pregnancy, traveling, and a lot of pending projects I found myself eating whatever was available and too much, not practicing daily asana and meditation, and just generally feeling out of sorts. When I realized this, I started to reimplement the practices that make me feel more aligned, happy and healthy.

That’s all well and good to say, but the question I was asked this past week was, ‘HOW do you take action?’ Once you have fallen into a rut or at least out of your ideal daily practices, it can be really hard to change gears.

First let me say this, the more you practice the easier it gets. And at the same time, be patient with yourself. We are all human with our own vices and life experiences that lead us to make the choices we do. But remember, we have choice and that is very powerful. The more we choose the habits that align with our optimal way of being, the easier it is to return to them if we fall off course.

Second, you have to ‘choose your hard.’ What does that mean? Well, life can be hard and we need to choose which brand of hard we want. Starting and restarting is hard, but the repercussions of not taking care of yourself are also hard.

Here’s a more detailed example; choosing to eat a kale salad with grilled fish for lunch instead of a double cheeseburger with bacon and a side of seasoned curly fries can be hard (especially with pregnancy cravings). However, if we choose the latter regularly (or the equivalent) then eating a kale salad seems so much easier than healing from the long term ramifications of toxic, processed foods.

On a more subtle note, it is hard to wake up early for my morning routine of yoga, journaling and self-care. But it is also hard to feel disappointment for not doing it and for wasting time that I won’t get back.

So I ‘choose my hard.’ I choose my smoothies and kale salads, with room for a square (or two) or dark chocolate. I choose to wake up a bit earlier so I can feel connected and grounded before the rest of the house wakes up.

This practice of understanding that reseting is hard, and that choosing not to is even harder helps me gain perspective and motivation. It also gives a ‘why’ to my choices. They aren’t just because someone else said so. Understanding why gives us clarity and when we are clear it makes our choices easier.

If you’re still having a hard time setting new practices, be gentle with yourself. Make sure you’re not putting too much on your plate at once. Start small. Add one change at a time until it becomes a habit. Then keep making those shifts until you are living your ideal day.

And when life happens and you fall out of your routine, remember that all you need to do is start again. Remember to choose your hard so you know why you are making these changes and start small. One thing at a time.

When you feel better, you will choose better.

I hope this is helpful. There isn’t always an easy way. It can be hard but it’s always worth it.