Back to pre-lockdown ways?

Schools are reopening this week and people are starting to return to their place of work.

There is still a huge amount of uncertainty around guidelines and what is going to happen but have we just seamlessly fallen back into our old routine pre-lockdown?

Were you one of those people during lockdown who said that they would spend less time worrying, doing work and more time with your family and on yourself? If you took the time to sit back, would you realise you’re back doing the things you said you wouldn’t?

I must confess I was going that way.

Our CORE Kids Summer camps took off and with it so did the workload. I was cancelling plans, spending less time with loved ones, and falling into bad habits. Thankfully I have taken action since. I’ve cut back on the amount of things I’m doing for work and concentrating on one main area. I’ve made plans with family and friends and stuck by them and most importantly I have made time for me. It’s easy to fall back into your old ways but it’s even harder to get back out. Here are a few ideas that may help you focus on what really matters once again.

Take a planning day
In order to make time, you have to set time aside to put a plan in place. This is exactly what I did recently. On the last day of our summer camps I asked one of the coaches to cover me while I stayed at home, took a planning day and set up a structured weekly plan.

During the previous weeks I found that I had loads to do but was getting little done. By the time I got up, did my morning routine, set up and delivered camp, came home, tried to do a few tasks, spent little time with the family, it was soon time for bed. I knew this wasn’t going to last forever but I wanted to be prepared and have a structured weekly plan that included working on my business, spending time with loved ones and taking time for me.

Set a morning routine
If you win your morning, you win the day. We all have a morning routine; some people start by hitting the snooze button, others start with a purpose. Which category do you fall into? If you are leaning more towards the snooze button side, then maybe you aren’t winning your morning. Instead are you waking up with a clear vision of what you are doing next and for the rest of the day.

Have you a structured morning routine that will help you do this? I suggest that your morning routine should include one if not all of these over time. First task is make your bed than have a glass of water, step outside for a walk or light exercise, exercise in the house, meditate, practice gratitude, goal setting and/or study. These are just a few suggestions, my advice is pick one at a time and implemented it into your routine for two weeks and see if you notice a difference in your mood and results before adding another.

Have an evening routine
In order to set your morning and day up it might be a good idea to plan it the night before. Take a few minutes each night to write out three things you want to achieve tomorrow.

You may also want to draw out a timetable or check over your weekly planner to see what you are going to do.

Another evening practice that is helpful, is reflecting and reviewing your day. Did you complete the tasks you set out from the night before? Be grateful for what you have achieved and think of ways you can improve if you fell short.

Try adding these three ideas in the order as you see them. For your morning and evening routine just add one thing at a time and stick with it. If you feel it is right for you, then keep it and add another thing. If not, then try something different. If you want different results to the ones you are getting, then you must be willing to make a change.