Routines... Hell Or Helpful!

Text and Images - Dom Read 

Sometimes in life it is easy to get stuck in routines. You can get so stuck in a routine you don't even realise you are in a routine. Or a routine can be very precise and intentional thing.

Sometimes it is necessary and sometimes it can be very helpful to be in a routine. Sometimes you have a goal or a target that you are working on and the most beneficial thing to do is to have your head down, focussed, repeating the same thing day after day. It gives you the freedom to focus, to not have to worry about planning and a routine can help stop the little decisions from distracting you from what is truly important to you.  

It is so easy to slip into bad routines or patterns that don't serve us fully. If you care about something you are working on like starting a new business or working on a project or your job it can easily start to take over your life and grind you down a bit. You don't realise you a stuck in a negative routine because you are so very focussed on what you are currently dealing with or working on. 

I have found with my work I get obsessed with individual projects. I can't wait to see them completed but I forget that there are other parts of the business to run and other parts of life to enjoy and nurture. For me because the sewing studio is currently in my living room, I end up never fully switching off, I stay up too late working on projects for until I crash and need time to recover. I then feel behind, get obsessed and repeat the whole process all over again!!

The past few months I have been juggling work, workshops, commissions and Dread Decks as well as an online course. It has ground me down repeatedly and I have been feeling less and less creative and motivated with my work. I realised something had to change...   ​

When everything is becoming a drag and you can feel your creative energy is lacking, something has got to change. When life has become a drag, late nights, poor food and even worse leisure and exercise you know your routine is a bit out of whack!!! 

Days like these despite all the pressures, pains and panic in your head, you have got to slow down. Take a step back and breathe for a second. No matter how hard it is take a pause. Reevaluate what you are neglecting, what is slipping through the cracks, what are you too focussed on and what is going to help you find your way back to feeling okay. No one can tell you the right thing to do or the right balance because everyone is different but you know what you can handle. Get out a sheet of paper and start writing.

Plan out what needs to get done and realistically how long it is going to take to get it done. Be fair to yourself plan in breaks, meals, time to relax and time to exercise! It may seem counterproductive but you need those down times off to fuel the times when you are working!

Remember all work and no play makes for a very dull day!!! 

Iron your out routine and remember you are in control!

Lots of love.
Dom xx