The Expat Life: In Praise Of Routines

Posted on 12. Mar, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Musings & Inspiration
0 comments

Earlier today, I was reflecting on the importance of routines and how they help me stay grounded, no matter where I may happen to be. I stumbled upon this great post over at the Trailing Spouse in Kathmandu blog. Laurel articulates what I had in mind better than I could, so why don’t you go read her post, and then come back and tell me what you think?

Laurel writes from the point of view of a mother and wife, yet many of her points apply whether you have a family of not:

– Have constants in your life: routines, rituals and traditions comfort you and keep you grounded even when everything else is changing around you
– Stay connected
– Know your values and priorities; honour them and celebrate them

As you know, values are very important to me, and I have written about traditions before. I really like the point Laurel makes about routines, too.

Have you designed some routines for yourself? How do they contribute to your day?

I use two separate routines as bookends to my day:

The morning one is designed to wake my brain and body up, and build up the energy reserve that will see me through the day. It starts around 6:00AM with some kind of personal practice (meditation, yoga or currently Shiva Nata), followed by a substantial breakfast and a chunk of time dedicated to writing.

In the evening, my rituals bring the day to a close. They send a signal to the brain that it is time to shift gears and wind down. I journal about my day, take a long bath and read about something non-work related. Lights go off at around 11:00PM.

For some, this may feel too structured, too constraining. Keep in mind, though, that you can design your routines exactly the way you want them to be- they do not need to be anything like mine.
I think that what matters is consciously choosing your routines, with an awareness of what they bring you, instead of going through the motions of your life on autopilot. You know, being present in the moment. Washing the dishes by hand as a meditation and all that.

Why don’t you experiment with a new routine today- who knows, it may be a keeper!

Emmanuelle