Now that the days are growing shorter and the holidays are approaching, I like to develop a routine to keep me focused and oriented toward what I need to accomplish.

A daily routine doesn’t need to be complicated. Here’s a simple possibility:

Morning:

• Wake up, shower, and dress.
• Eat breakfast.
• Pack lunch.
• Put away dishes from the night before.
• Wash breakfast dishes.
• Walk the dog.
• Set out non-perishable ingredients and utensils for dinner.

Coming home from work:

• Walk the dog.
• Change out of work clothes and place in laundry or hang up (as necessary).
• Clean out your work bag.
• Sort/recycle mail.
• Light candles.
• Begin dinner.
• Put away breakfast dishes.
• Start a load of laundry if necessary.

Before bed:

• Gather whatever you need to take to work tomorrow.
• Wash dinner dishes and clean sink.
• Blow out the candles.
• Do a 15 minute walk-through to put things back in order (dishes from snack washed and in sink, reading material or crafting put away, remotes back in place, cushions and blankets in place, etc.).

None of these are challenging activities, but getting into the habit of doing them every day will create a trigger in your mind signaling that it’s time for work or time to be home or time to sleep. It creates a rhythm to your days that will help you relax.