The Daily Schedule
Photo by Renáta-Adrienn on Unsplash
How are you using your energy each day?
My son graduated from high school 10 years ago this month. A picture popped up in Facebook from his last band concert - just in case I forgot how fast time goes!
It occurred to me that although ten years has passed (and my daughter is two years younger than him), I still unconsciously structure my days around the school schedule. I had not really thought of it this way - but upon reflection, it is completely true. When our children transition, we do too, but because often they are "leaving" in some way, we are left with the remnants of the way we lived with them - like creating our days around their school and activity schedules.
My adherence to the school schedule is born out of 20+ years of living that way, and it has mostly worked for me. However, I also see that it can keep me rigid in the way I structure my days and nights. I have preferred times for exercising, working, or running errands. Because I love routine, it is hard for me to make changes. If they are forced on me from the outside, no problem; to change them from the inside is a bit harder for me. Understanding that rigidity is important so that when I have a chance to do something that does not "fit" I will be open to it.
I have written that routines help me soar by keeping me grounded, which was more about weight maintenance, but how we use time during the day is just important. Understanding how our energy feels at different times of day is a key to success. My best energy is from when I awake (I am one of those annoying people who likes to chat first thing!) until early afternoon. Therefore, I do the things that require the most mental or physical energy during that earlier part of the day, and leave the more mundane tasks for later afternoon or evening.
This is a form of self care, and it becomes more important the older you get. Pay attention to how you feel at certain times of the day, which activities deplete you, and which feed you. Work as much of this knowledge into the rhythm of your days as you can. This is just one more way that you can use the wisdom of your body to help you live your days in a more satisfying way.
