These Are the 3 Things I'm Doing to Get Into a Routine and Feel Less Lethargic

I’m the person who thrives with a routine, and planning and scheduling activities weeks and months in advance. I’m not super rigid when it comes to schedules, but they definitely help me feel like life is less chaotic; a schedule also helps me stay on track and get things done throughout the day.

Since the start of stay-at-home orders and social distancing, my entire routine has been flipped upside-down (yes, that was a Fresh Prince reference). For the first couple of weeks, I found myself going to bed at ungodly hours, waking up later than I’d like, and not really getting much done throughout the day. I’ve been playing around with various routines to see what helps me feel less lethargic, and here’s what’s been working for me so far.

I Take My Mornings Slow

I used to get dressed and ready for the day, eat, and be out the door within 45 minutes of waking up, but I’ve completely slowed down these days. Now, I’m allowing myself more time to wake up and get into my groove. I’ve found that giving myself around 90 minutes to get ready for my day really helps. In this time, I like to meditate (I don’t do this every day), stretch and move my body a little bit, eat, and shower. The shower is arguably the most important thing I do in my routine because it helps wake me up. I’m still a fan of sleeping in on weekends but during the week, allowing my body and my brain time to wake up is a must.

Related: I Have All the Time in the World, and I’m Not Doing Anything Except Taking Care of Myself

I Schedule Breaks Throughout the Day

Some days I have no desire to leave my apartment, but I know that taking a break and going on a quick walk or doing something fun for 30 minutes will always improve my mood. I try to get out daily, unless the weather is bad, and this is particularly important on the days that I work because it’s easy to get caught up with deadlines or look away from the screen.

I Schedule Workouts

I use the word schedule loosely because some days I’m not in the mood to work out. But, it does help to have an idea of the workouts I want to do during the week. On Sunday I’ll write out a rough schedule of my weekly workout and wellness routine and then tape it to my fridge so I don’t forget it. If I’m not feeling a strength or yoga workout I have planned, I’ll simply skip it or move it to a different day. I haven’t been too strict with the timing of my workouts but if I have the energy, I’ll train in the morning, and if not, I’ll train in the evening.

Like most people, I’m still adapting and figuring out what works best for me to be productive and to simply feel better as we adjust to stay-at-home orders. Most importantly, I’m taking this time to not beat myself up if I don’t wake up as early as I’d like or if I go a week without working out. These three things have helped me feel more structured but being flexible and not stressing about what I should have or should be doing is key to feeling my best.