This past week showed me the value of having written daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal routines. When crisis hits, it really helps you get back on track after things calm down.

After the adrelinine rush goes away one tends to be unmotivated and fatigued. Often the house gets messy,papers,laundry etc.

The other nice thing about routines, it can help you manage your time so you get all the little things done. I like being able to adjust my routines to help me stay healthy and well groomed. Having a written plan and routine for my weight gain program, and beauty routine, makes it easier to eat right and not forget the things I need to do to stay well groomed on a regular schedule.

So for me Monday is housecleaning day, but with the events of this past weekend I was not able to get to it. So I just did some basic tidying, loaded the dishwasher and wiped down in the bathroom and kitchen. Tuesday is laundry day so I caught up on our laundry did ironing and mending and started two sewing projects. My DGD comes on Tuedays and stays over through Wednesday, so I had her do her schoolwork while I sewed.

Wednesday is paperwork day so I handled the paperwork pile, still working on that. I had to file the vet papers and update my EO with info, since we purchased vet insurance Tueday. Don't ever want to not have the means to care for my kitty as we learned the hard way this weekend.

DS is sick(allergies) and stayed home today, so I took care of him while doing the paperwork. I'm almost back to normal here. I kept up with my skincare routine and my diet. I have to eat every two hours and specific foods,I take supplaments for my vitamin D deficiency problem along with fibro and other meds so having it on the routine sheet really helps make sure I take care of me.

DS is taking care of the yard today, we've had high winds, still do, so there are branches and debris everywhere, it's relatively warm, and he's feeling better, so that task is on our seasonal and it falls in this week so it works out.

Since most household tasks reoccur on the routine every week within a weeks time I usually get back on track fairly quickly.

Even during the crisis most things get taken care of because of it so I don't have to face mountains of anything, bills get paid and meals are on the table.

I'll share more on how I do my routines and how to make it flexible. Share yours please!

I am trying to do better with routines myself. I have a very good daily routine which helps me to balance my work (I work from home), my children, and home. However, I don't do as well with weekly or monthly routines, which I am working on.
I do however have it all on paper!

You asked us to share so here is my daily (weekday) routine:

7 am - wake up, shower, get kids ready
7:45 am - take son to school
8:00 am - make my daughter (13months) and I breakfast do my quiet time
8:45 am - Check email
9:00 am - Begin Writing
10:30 am - Leave to pick up my son
11:00 am - Lunch
12:00 noon - Work on ministry and other work projects
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Housework, organizing
4:00 pm - Routine goes out the window I do what I want, the kids need, supper, etc.
I do try and clean the kitchen and tidy living room every night before bed!

Now as for weekly I'm trying to develop the following

Monday - Clean Living/Dining Room
Tuesday - Clean My Kid's Rooms & Bathroom
Wednesday - Clean Master Bedroom & Bathroom
Thursday - Grocery/ Errand Day
Friday - Clean Laundry Room & Kitchen

Alyssa & Lynnim: I have the "basics" down, but I don't have all the essentials in a daily routine as life seems to take charge & overwhelm me on a daily basis.

I desperately need to do daily exercise of at least 45 min. of aerobics (weight control, help with blood pressure & cholesterol & tendency for depression) & then the strength training 3-4 times a week. I just can't seem to get it into a routine with every day being so different. So it is not getting done. By the end of the day when I "have time" (but I'm actually ready to collapse) I do not have the motivation. Yet intellectually I know I should consider exercise as part of my "medication."

When I had children at home they did put me on a schedule, but I didn't really take care of myself too much & now I need to--my health is deteriorating.

I feel very scattered. For example, I don't know exactly what I'm doing tomorrow. I'll have to look at the calendar. I know I do have a doc's appt. & something else (not sure what) in the morning so I have to leave the house at 9:00 & I try to have everything picked up, etc. before I leave. So I won't be exercising before I leave & by the time I get home, I doubt I'll be able to motivate myself.

I fold laundry while waiting for coffee to brew. Sometimes I'm ironing at 4:00 a.m. I'm basically "putting out fires" while I try to finish up my charity work project with hopefully no hostile reactions to my "quitting."

Then there are the meals to plan, groc shopping to do. I need some suggestions so I'll be watching this topic closely!--Suzy

Suzy, I'm with you on the exercise and the "life seems to take charge & overwhelm me on a daily basis". I'm on a leave of absence from work at the moment, but I still can't get any proper structure into my life, let alone routines. I have loads of appointments with various doctors and authorities, paperwork to fill out, finances to sort out, papers to file, etc., not to mention a long backlog of chores and other organizational tasks.

Ditto on the "putting out fires"--I feel like I've been in crisis mode for months, if not longer, and still have not made any significant progress on putting out any of those fires for good.

I think that when your mind is in turmoil, your outside world will be as well, and vice versa, and that is what makes it so hard to establish routines. Every time I start a routine, one of those "fires" will erupt again, my routines get overturned, and then I will have to start from scratch.

Lynni, I'd like to learn more about how to make routines flexible, because I think that is precisely what I need. Thank you so much for starting this thread!!

I find one way to make routines flexible is to have small routines.

For instance, I have small routines that cover:

* What I do upon waking

* What I do around mealtimes

* What I do for personal grooming

* What I do with the laundry

* What order I use for cleaning a room

* How I process business orders

* How I handle business stocking

Rather than write a minute-by-minute plan for the day, I know I have six or so mini-routines to accomplish through the day. Some of them are time sensitive, and others are not, but I can mix-n-match as needed.

Elizabeth as usual you hit the nail on the head. You are so young but so wise!

I do certain things each day, before I feel I can move on, I guess they could be called small routines. Thanks for naming it for me! LOL

I also do certain things each day which I listed on another thread here in the forum.

I agree that I am more likely to stick to smaller, more flexible routines. For me, I like flexibility and a little spontaneity. I don't like having each and every day planned out totally. That would bore me to tears and I'd run the other direction screaming! LOL I guess I just need the freedom and opportunity to exercise a little creativity.

I think you're right that smaller more flexible routines are easier to drop and pick back up if need be.

There are many of us who thrive on strict routines and having everything totally planned out, but that's not for me. Different strokes for different folks, right? That's what makes this forum so valuable - we can try different methods to find the one that works perfectly for us!

hi y'all. I could REALLY use some help. I have no suitable routines. (think LynniM you said SOMEWHERE that we all HAVE routines, just not always the ones we want). I need to get my routines in order FAST.

My lack has cost me more that I care to share, & I hope that I can still save what's left of my marriage.

I believe that my night routine is in the most need. I'm not sure what to start with. LynniM, you were talking about being hyperfocused, well I think I have the oppisite problem. I see too much of the big piture. One thing leads to another.

ie... thinking aout "tomorrow" I need to get clothes together, right. Well, that would mean they need to be washed & folded or hung. ok well they arn't. So, I do more laundry ( & YES of course I have WAY to many clothes)

I have here 3 children & myself. D15 gets her own for the most part.(unless they arn't washed & she is doing some herself) d9 sometimes picks out hers, most of the time it's me. s7 picks out his own only about 2% of the time.

Then have to get meds taken care of & snuggle time in. Would LOVE to get EVERYONE into bed (theirs not MINE) by 9pm. & yet that dones't seem to EVER happen, even if hubby is home(he drives truck & is home about 6 days a month)

I am at such a loss. please help.

The most important step for me, no matter what, is to get up and get FULLY dressed & put on shoes. Sweatpants & other soft, cozy sleeplike apparel are not allowed. If I'm not fully dressed then I won't get a blasted thing done. If I am fully dressed -- including shoes -- then I can get 10x's as much done.

If it's desk work only, then I can skip the shoes, if I wear socks or shoe like slippers.

Since one of my main goals to do daily is exercise & I can't seem to get motivated first thing in the morning I'm dressed in sweats (exercise clothes) & try to calm my hair down (wake up with it sticking up in all sorts of directions. Since I exercise at home, I don't put on any make-up or anything & hope no one rings the door bell!

I'm up usually between 2:00 & 3:00 so I do "quiet" activities like read or fold laundry or iron, but I also plan my day with a schedule with specific times & feel anxious unless I get the house pretty picked up (dishwasher empty, bed made, load of laundry going, etc.) & then I feel free to exercise which isn't until about 9:00, though sometimes I have to get phone calls over with at 9:00.

Like yesterday I was anxious about calling the ins. company. They deny my claims for therapy every month & I have to go through so many hoops to get them to agree that they should cover it (well, at least a small portion of it since it is out-of-network). And they are rude, to boot.

Then I often have to get dinner in the crock pot, clean up the kitchen, do paperwork, baby steps in organizing, etc. & find myself in my sweats until 4:00 & shower just before my husband comes home from work, if I don't have to leave the house that day!

Well, it's 4:30 & I have to make some coffee for my husband & finish folding the laundry & ironing. Have a mammagram this morning & since I'm out will do a bunch of errands & will try to exercise when I get home this afternoon (low motivation in late afternoon, but will try to push myself to do even just 20-30 min.) Have a good one, All.--Suzy _