Health | Wellness

Advice for Navigating a Change in Routine

Again and again.

The night train at the station. Photo by author, copyright Dawn Nelson.

We are, at our essence, creatures of habit.

I have been criticized for being fairly rigid in routine and method, which I take pride in. I like being methodical.

So when my schedule changes, I get annoyed.

I like my daily routine. I want the trains to run on time.

I am now back to working evenings, after more than a year of a very pleasant day routine. The adjustment has been challenging, but not without some nice surprises.

For instance, I have a few mornings back every week that I can spend more leisurely, which is something I have missed quite a lot. My writing routine is best in the morning.

So as irritable as I may be, I try to stay focused on the bright side.

During the pandemic stay at home era, I became antsy to get out into the world again. I went back to work as a bartender working dinner shifts at a local restaurant. It was strange going from hardly seeing anyone to being embedded in public space. What I learned to love about that routine was that I had every morning to myself, as the place didn’t open until 4pm.