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The Surprising Power of Creating a Daily Routine

Hilary March 9, 2017

Stuck in a quarantine? Now's the perfect time to create a haven!

Stuck in a quarantine? Now's the perfect time to create a haven!

Wondering how to add a little structure to your days? Try creating a daily routine!

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For several years as a stay-at-home-mom, I fought daily routines.

My life revolved around my babies’ sleep schedules. I tried to fit in what I could on any given day just depending on my mood (or my kids’ moods).

I thought all of the freedom of life without a routine would be freeing.

But it wasn’t.

Instead, my life without a daily routine only brought chaos. It added confusion to my mind and my days.

And it was only after I created a basic daily routine that I discovered a lot more freedom … and a lot more satisfaction to my days.

Depending on your personality type, routines may be a welcomed necessity. Or they can seem (extremely) constricting.

As someone who does appreciate routine – but also loves flexibility – I’ve found that daily routines help me stay on track each day. Since I don’t schedule my entire day, I do still have the flexibility I enjoy.

I’m willing to bet everyone has some sort of routine already set up each day – you probably do the same thing after you wake up each morning and before you go to bed each night. You may pack a lunch at the same time, or you could set your watch by the exact time you walk your dog at the same time each day. If that routine is ever disrupted, you feel off – like something’s not quite right.

The beauty of YOUR routine

You can choose to make your daily routine as regimented or laid back as you prefer – I suggest including the things you know you want to accomplish each day.

I’d also suggest making a few routines for different parts of your day – I prefer morning, late afternoon, and bedtime routines.

In the morning, make sure you’re planning for things you know you need to do before your day gets started – and that you know you’ll have time for.

And in the evening or before bed, work ahead to make your next day a little easier.

Doing the worst first

As I’ve created my daily routines, I’ve adopted the attitude that I need to plan for the one thing I don’t want to do in my day – and in my home, I try to do it before my children wake up.

My ideal morning routine begins with getting out of bed, going to the bathroom, drinking a glass of water, and then spending time in God’s Word. Once I’ve done that, I’m a little more awake and ready to tackle what I don’t want to do: exercise. Once my exercise is over, then I take a shower and make breakfast.

Wondering how to add a little structure to your days? Try creating a daily routine!

When I can stay focused and follow my routine, my day is off to a great start and I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot. When I don’t, I feel like I spend my day playing catch up.

Other routines I typically follow are:

  • After meals: I clean off the table, put away food, and wash the dishes.
  • Late afternoon: I pick up the house before my husband gets home from work and start supper preparations.
  • Bedtime: For our kids, it includes brushing teeth and going to the bathroom, changing into pajamas, reading the Bible as a family, then reading a chapter in whatever book we’re working our way through.  As for my own bedtime, it’s drinking some water, taking vitamins, brushing my teeth and going to the bathroom, changing into pajamas and setting my alarm.

Most of my routines are EASY. (Except for my morning routine, but it only seems difficult because I’m not a morning person.)

And the routines have become an automatic part of my day.

They’re nothing fancy – at all – but they add some structure to each day, freeing me up to do the rest of what I’d like to do.

I can appreciate my routines because they help me stay on track each day and maintain a haven in my home, and the simplicity of them also gives me the flexibility my personality type craves.

Creating your own routine

After trying different routines suggested by different blogs and books, I found I could borrow different ideas, but they only worked out when I created my own routine. It worked best for my personality, preferences and schedules.

Likewise, I suggest finding what is right for you. Try what other homemakers recommend, but tweak the routines (and keep tweaking!) until you find a good fit for your current life situation.

Wondering how to add a little structure to your days? Try creating a daily routine!

What things are part of your daily routines?


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Hilary
Hilary
Hilary Bernstein is a Christ follower, wife, homeschooling mama, and writer who believes every Christian woman can transform her home into a haven. She's happiest when she's hosting friends and family for dinner, going on date nights with her husband, singing along to the radio while driving her kids around, enjoying live performances, relaxing on family vacations at the beach, and spending cozy family nights at home.The author of several books, Hilary loves to encourage her e-mail subscribers!
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Filed Under: Homemaking 4 Comments

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About Hilary

Hilary Bernstein is a Christ follower, wife, homeschooling mama, and writer who believes every Christian woman can transform her home into a haven. She's happiest when she's hosting friends and family for dinner, going on date nights with her husband, singing along to the radio while driving her kids around, enjoying live performances, relaxing on family vacations at the beach, and spending cozy family nights at home. The author of several books, Hilary loves to encourage her e-mail subscribers!

Lovely comments

  1. momsarefrugal says

    October 14, 2015 at 3:02 pm

    I love m routines. The one I struggle with is my bedtime routine because I stay up then skip the routine. That would be the one I have on my list to work on more. Great post.

    Reply
  2. Carissa says

    January 9, 2016 at 9:35 am

    Favorite routine, bedtime and exercise, because they help me to live at my best.

    Reply
  3. Brandy M. says

    September 18, 2017 at 3:05 am

    This is not so much a homemaking routine, but a couple years ago I set a routine for getting ready to leave the house, since I was always running late. I developed a routine (shower, brush teeth, fix hair, and so on…) that I do from start to finish without doing anything else (other than answering my son’s rapid fire questions) , because I realized that I was constantly getting distracted by household chores, watching something on TV, checking my phone, etc. Focusing on this one task of getting ready and having a set routine for those times I do get distracted by an unavoidable interruption, has significantly reduced the time it takes me to get myself and my son ready to leave the house and keeps me from being late all the time.

    Reply
    • Hilary says

      September 19, 2017 at 7:25 am

      I love this idea, Brandy! Like you, it feels like I’m always running late when trying to leave the house, because I try to cram too much in ahead of time. But you’re on to something … focusing on the one task of getting ready would solve a lot of my issue!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Hilary! Click here to learn more about me ... and Home to a Haven.

I believe you can find peace and purpose when you care for your home and family. I'm here to guide you with faith-filled encouragement!

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