Between Easter weekend, the school holidays that come with it, and the steady plod back towards the office after being so used to working from home, our hard-earned routines have been put to the test lately.
That long weekend probably saw you swap your poached eggs on sourdough for a much sweeter chocolate alternative. Taking the family away for a mini-break was possibly the chance for you to unwind a little more in the evenings (chin-chin). Being at the office means it’s maybe harder to get away for your usual lunchtime CrossFit class – so what now?!
Stop the horses, climb back up, and hit the road again…
Although rejigging a routine will likely require more effort than maintaining it, it’s almost definitely going to be easier than starting from scratch. So now’s the time to dust yourself off and get back on the wagon. Everyone’s different, so there’s no single answer for successfully falling back into a healthy routine, but we’ve got a few tips that might help…
1. Reflect and realise before you rebuild
Simply put, if you know why your routine broke down, you’re in a much better position to fix it. It is possible to go on holiday and eat well and exercise, but maybe your usual nutrition plan is too demanding, or your class schedule is too time-consuming. Ask yourself; did you really break your routine, or did it break you?
2. Identify obstacles, then eliminate them
Obstacles will make the routine journey more difficult. Some bumps in the road are to be expected, and friction in your life is often unavoidable, but staying up late when you want to get up to train will cause friction. Sacking off meal prep at tea time will cause a bump at lunch. A sanity check, and a little extra effort at the time can save you so much aggro in the future!
3. Timeframes, To Dos, and Reviews
Mark down key points in your routine you wish to reinstate, and keep a daily checklist to give you an idea of how well you’re doing. Tell yourself you’re going to stick to your routine for a minimum amount of time (maybe 30 days?) but set yourself a period of time for a review (could be once a week, every 10 days, or fortnightly) so you can refine your revamped routine.