Back from holidays: routines and structure
September. It’s this time of the year when for most of us the holidays are over and we’re back to business as usual. About a year ago, I published the post ‘10 tips to beat those post-holiday blues’ where I shared some tips that not only work for me (a frequent traveler), but are also based on my professional experience. As a Psychiatrist, I cannot overemphasize the importance of having routines and structure to one’s days, weeks, and life. Routines and structure are important because they provide a sense of security and familiarity, as well as order, direction and meaning. They also help provide a sense of achievement (purpose) as well as enjoyment (pleasure). All these are essential ingredients for a happy and balanced life.
So, establishing routines and structure is the first of the 10 tips that can help beat those post-holiday blues and get back on track as soon as possible.
In fact, I recently read the book My Morning Routine: How Successful People Start Every Day Inspired. In keeping with its title, this book focused on the importance of the morning routines and structure (which I think is a great starting point – both literally and metaphorically). Whilst learning about the routines of 64 of today’s most successful people, including Biz Stone (the co-founder of Twitter), Michael Acton Smith (CEO of Calm), and Arianna Huffington (founder of The Huffington Post), I reflected on my own morning routines and structure.
My morning routines and structure
I currently work in Woolwich, London, four days a week. Since I live in West London, my commute to work takes about an hour and a half, of which I spend an entire hour on the train with the rest being made up by brief walks to and from the station.
07:00: Waking up
To start work at 9 am, I set my alarm at 7. I wake up to the gentle voice of Petroc Trelawny and classical music courtesy of Radio 3, too good to hit the snooze button or sleep through.
07:05: Breakfast
With this soundtrack, I get up and head to the kitchen. I religiously have a glass of water followed by my breakfast: Greek yogurt or kefir in a kilner jar, mixed with oats, chia seeds and honey (preferably Greek too), and topped with granola and fresh fruit, prepared of course the night before. Breakfast provides energy and nutrition, whereas an espresso gives me the much-needed caffeine boost. Many consider breakfast the most important meal of the day and I couldn’t agree more. So, no matter how late I go to bed the night before (I usually try to sleep for at least 7 hours, but sometimes life gets in the way), I always wake up early enough so as to never skip breakfast.
By 6.25, I have brushed my teeth, got dressed, and filled up my water bottle. I put my headphones on and leave the house.
07:40: On the train
Whilst on the train, I engage in one of my favorite activities: reading. Every Monday morning, I start reading a new book. By the end of the week, I have finished it. Fiction or non-fiction, it’s always for pleasure, never for work. I prefer reading books in print rather than on screen. However, there are times that the train is so busy that reading a physical copy of a book is not possible. For this reason, I make sure I have a couple of e-books downloaded on my phone. Meanwhile, the soundtrack changes from Radio 3 to a Spotify playlist.
Being a huge music fan, I love discovering new music. The more however I expand my musical horizons, the harder it gets to keep track of all the new artists and releases. Fortunately, Spotify helps me with just that. Every Friday it automatically updates ‘Release Radar’, a personalized playlist with 30 newly released songs by my favorite artists. This is not just the soundtrack to my Friday morning commute, but also to the following week.
09:00: Work
Upon my arrival in my office, I text my family in Greece (it is almost 11 am there) and start work. It is then (and only then) when I first check my work e-mail. Work-life balance is of paramount importance to me and to achieve this I have established clear boundaries. Checking my work e-mail outside my working hours is a never event. Checking my personal e-mail and social media, on the other hand, can wait until my break. Those boundaries again.
My morning routine of course changes during the weekend and the days I work from home. For starters, I may wake up a bit later. Nonetheless, even then, I set my alarm, as I absolutely hate waking up late; it feels as if I’ve missed most of the day. This is perhaps because the morning is my favorite time of the day. But this also helps me keep my routines and structure in place. Since I don’t have to rush out of the house, I take time to prepare my breakfast: filter coffee (it takes longer to drink than the espresso), freshly squeezed orange juice, and then a choice between avocado and poached egg on toast, or perhaps something sweeter: an acai bowl, waffles with jam, or a slice of banana bread.
End-of-the-day routines and structure
When I worked closer to home and my commute was shorter, I used to exercise in the morning, before going to work. Nowadays, I have moved exercise to the evening, so I may hit the gym or join a yoga class after I come back home from work. I also make sure that I walk at least 10,000 steps a day.
Fast forward to the end of the day, it’s all about the prep. I make sure there’s a book in my backpack; my laptop makes its way there too. I prepare my kilner jar and get the coffee equipment (a moka pot that is) ready for the morning. Then, I set my alarm, turn the mobile off (which I never take to bed with me), and I’m comfortably tucked in bed. I try to sleep between 7 and 8 hours at night, so I am in bed by midnight the latest.
Quite like the morning routine, an end-of-the-day routine is also important to help us relax and unwind. For specific recommendations on how to relax, read my post on my pre-bed post-travel routine. This is essentially a relaxation routine and, despite the name, is by no means specific to traveling. If you have trouble sleeping, check out my post ‘Counting sheep: 7 tips for better sleep’.
Reflections on my morning routines and structure
A life-changing moment was when I changed my perspective with regards to my morning routine. Let me explain: I used to consider my morning routine and the commute to and from work as an extension of my work. This meant that on a typical day there was a work-life imbalance, as I added 4 hours to my 8-hour shifts, leaving 7-8 hours for sleep and only 4-5 hours for everything else. However, I now consider my morning routine at home and my commute as me-time. Instead of mindlessly wasting 4 hours a day, I am mindful of what I’m doing: enjoying my breakfast, walking (exercising), or reading.
This approach bears similarities with Gregg Carey’s reflections on his morning routines and structure (as described in My Morning Routine: How Successful People Start Every Day Inspired). Gregg describes his morning routine as holistic, with four essential components critical to his happiness: energy (breakfast), body (exercise), mind and soul. Mind and soul can refer to mindfulness activities (i.e. meditation), gratitude, connection with important others (family, pets) and pleasurable activities. In my opinion, these are all important components of a happy and balanced life, and as long as they’re part of one’s daily routines and structure, it doesn’t matter if they’re practiced in the morning or at a different time of the day.
Further reading/listening
Another book I recently read is ‘Morning: How To Make Time’ by Allan Jenkins. A lark, the opposite of a night owl, Jenkins interviews other larks, people from different backgrounds and walks of life, and shares their collective insight on what makes waking up early in the morning so special. He also shares his early-morning writings, poetic and mindful reflections on the calm and beauty of the small hours.
In a recent episode of the Sun Lounge podcast, Adam Dunning discusses post-holiday blues and shares his tips on how to beat them. I was pleasantly surprised to find out how similar to my own recommendations his tips were. You can listen to Adam’s podcast here.
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Alex
(the Traveling Psychiatrist)