Our daily rhythms—our habits and routines—say a lot about our true priorities, and what we are or are not making time for.
Even the best laid plans can change at the last minute. Our healthy rhythms allow us to create patterns that change and flex with our unique needs and circumstances.
Unhealthy rhythms may lead us to feel frustrated or overwhelmed when things don’t go as planned. Healthy rhythms, however, help us to use our time and resources wisely, and to not get upset when our plans change unexpectedly.
Let’s take a rhythm inventory!
Notice your daily routine. It may not be the same every day, but our schedules usually contain similar or recurring elements throughout the week. (For some extra routine work, you can log your daily activities for an average week. At the end of the week, go through and underline or highlight any repeating practices or routines you see.)
Now, let’s take a deeper look at your rhythm of daily life:
- Are you feeling rushed?
- Do you have time for the things you consider important?
- Have you paced yourself through the day or pushed yourself through the day?
While we can’t always choose all the things we want or need to do each day—or plan for all the circumstances we find ourselves in—we can create healthy, helpful rhythms that support the life we want to live. A rhythm of relaxation and working. A rhythm of rest and growth. A rhythm of investing in others and allowing ourselves to be filled.
When we recognize the rhythms we have created for ourselves—and whether or not we like them—we can begin to see what changes might be needed.
Maybe you focus too much on work, and therefore leave little time for fun and rest for yourself and with your loved ones.
Perhaps you’ve created a rhythm of laziness in your life, and have become too relaxed in the good work you’ve been called to do professionally or within your home and family.
(You might also be at a good place with your rhythms, and you feel like they serve you well right now. That’s great! Hopefully this inventory serves you well as you take stock now and in the future.)
Creating (and adjusting) your rhythms
As you consider your systems, you might find that not everything needs an overhaul. Some routines probably work well for you, while others might need a minor adjustment or to be added or removed completely.
Here are some questions to consider:
- What in my rhythms do I want to maintain?
- What do I want to improve?
- What do I want to change?
Imagine what life might look like if you chose to add a bit more of what you think is missing (fun, rest, good work, etc.) into your daily rhythms.
What might you experience as you create a rhythm that serves you well?
How would it feel to experience the freedom of being who you were created to be?
Consider what your next step might be to create the rhythm that you want for your life.
Healthy and sustainable changes happen one small step at a time.
If you wanted to run a marathon, but had no running experience, you wouldn’t expect to run the entire marathon on your first day. The same applies to creating good, healthy rhythms! You build up to them by starting with small, achievable steps that you repeat and add to over time.
If you want to prioritize more fun in your life, you might schedule 10 minutes of designated fun into your week or day. Maybe it’s 15 minutes of reading, working a puzzle, having a mini dance party, or practicing watercolor painting—whatever sounds fun to you!
If you want to become more structured in your work schedule, you might set a 15-minute timer where you do intensive work on a single task. When the timer goes off, you can take a short break. This might look like walking around the office, grabbing a fresh cup of coffee, or stepping outside for a few minutes of sunshine.
As you create this small amount of time and space in your day for this rhythm, you’ll find it easier to prioritize. The 10–15 minutes might eventually stretch to an hour of uninterrupted work or a weekly game night with friends.
Do you want to discover healthy rhythms that support the life you want to live? Graceful Balance was created for women just like you who want to live a healthy, joyful and purpose-filled life that honors God. We know what it’s like to start that journey and wonder what steps are next. Our Christian life coaches are here specifically to help you navigate routines and practices that will serve you, your well-being and your community well. Get in touch with them below — we can’t wait to chat with you!
