Routine. Not a bad thing after all…
Routine… every day the same thing, again and again. I’ve always been terrified of routine, and I have always been thrilled with new things and changes in my life. So, I constantly try to include new things and changes in my daily life. My way of not getting bored. I hate feeling bored, I even hate the word “boredom” itself, it makes me feel that people do not appreciate life. I have an inner need to keep myself busy, at all times.
Transitioning into adulthood, graduating from university and getting a full-time job, left me with less free time, less time with my friends. I could not sit at home; I could not sit in the same place for long or do the same thing for long. I needed to be out, with my friends having fun, day and night. Fun for me, had a very specific and limited definition. It meant meeting with friends, going out, exploring Cyprus. Therefore, finding myself in a routine, proved more difficult that I initially considered.
Having got through a difficult time last- year, being at home is not so hard for me anymore. Last year I almost went through a mental breakdown due to a variety of reasons that led back to pressure, stress, lack of motivation, increased responsibilities and many more that were not easily identifiable. Taking a step back and closing myself in at home, seemed the best solution I could think of, however I soon realized that it was nothing more than temporary relief.
I fought a lot with myself and my thoughts that pushed me in, on the couch doing nothing at all. I did my best to accept as many invitations from my closest people for going out, and I started enjoying it again. And here I am today, having to stay at home, during this period of life in which I started finding back myself and confidence. At the beginning of this quarantine situation, I had some major stress explosions; dreadful thoughts were coming and going, a fear that I would slide back to who I was a year ago.
What I came to realize, after almost a month working from home is that I actually enjoy it. I appreciated my efforts last year, learning how to spend quality time with myself and how to reduce stress and minimize its impact on a daily basis and during stressful times. Most importantly, is that I discovered ways to entertain and motivate myself, ways to keep my mind busy. I discovered another part of myself!
So, here is everything that keeps me busy, lately. Who knows what I will be into, next?!
Exercise
First thing in the morning! I recently enhanced my morning exercise routine with 30-minutes jogging. I start with a combination of full-body Pilates and Yoga, stretching and boosting my body and finish with 30 minutes jogging. Exercise not only strengthens me physically, but it lifts my confidence. Generally morning exercise brightens my mood, keeps me focused and positive and minimizes those joint and tendon pains I have after years in sports.
Cooking
I have always enjoyed cooking. I am not a professional cook, and I am not planning to become one, yet, cooking gives me a unique kind of pleasure, making something that others can enjoy, as well. I experiment on healthy dishes, for me and the whole family, cheating them into healthy eating, more fish and white meat rather than red meat, a lot of greens and fruit, natural dressings like olive oil and soy sauce, etc.
Drawing & DIY
I recently started experimenting with drawing. I needed something to decorate my big, white, empty wall in my bedroom and I preferred going with something hand made. So, instead of going shopping, I thought why not create something myself. And here I am, watching videos on how to draw, mainly nature-related images like animals and plants. My first attempt was an elephant and it really looked like one! I will keep trying it, and hopefully I’ll share some with you, soon.
Learning
Books, online trainings/ courses, videos, documentaries. I enjoy them all! I actually avoid podcasts, they bore med, they remind me of university lectures. Currently I’m reading a very interesting book regarding behavioural economics (note that I’ve never appreciated economic sciences before) and a practical business book on how to design effective KPIs. I also attend an online course on Photoshop, since I’m also interested in graphic design.
Watching movies
This is a ritual, a family ritual to end the day. Every night, the whole family watches a movie together. Either interesting or not, we watch it, and this is one of the moments that the whole family gets together. Inspite of their flaws and their bad habits like assuming how it ends, or asking endless questions during the movie, I still love that time. This is something we always did, while in quarantine or not. It’s the time, actually, that all family members find — finally — to sit on the couch, get some rest and drift away from reality, and that’s the reason my family doesn’t like based-on-true-story movies, because watching a movie is our way of drifting away from it.
Finding myself in an endless cycle of routine has always terrified me, but lately it proves that giving time to myself, discovering my real interests and passions and finding activities that match those helped me build a tailor-made routine that constantly feeds me with power and inspiration.
