Routines don’t really work for me. I get too worked up beforehand trying to plan every minute. Then I get too worked up during a routine trying to stick to it. And it gives me no flexibility for when I want or need to do something different. And then I get bored.

Unfortunately, I am also the type of person to get terrible analysis paralysis. My solution to all this dire strife was to set defaults, not routines. I now have a base case for most of the substantial “routines” in my life. Some of my favorites:

Bedtime

You have probably heard that every good morning starts with a good night. I have really found this to be true, so my bedtime process is going first.

  • (step 0) As soon as I get home, take my contact lenses out (helps prevent dry eyes).
  • Brush teeth, wash face, and rinse my body right before bed.
    • Rinsing your body, even with hot water, helps lower your body temperature, which helps you fall asleep. Plus it feels nice!
  • Ear plugs and sleep mask.
    • I like the sleep masks that are kind of dome-shaped so they don’t press on your eyelids.
  • Read until I am v e r y s l e e p y.
    • I like to read on my Kindle with the Kindle light on and the bedroom lights off. That way I never have to get out of bed again. I am hopeful that the paper-like screen does not disrupt my sleep as much as a phone screen would, but I haven’t really seen any research about it. I have been doing this for several months and I don’t think it strains my eyes too much, but tread carefully (lol).

Wakeup

  • Stretch, wiggle, kick your feet, whatever, to get your blood flowing a little faster. You don’t even have to sit up yet. This usually helps me feel more awake.
  • Brush teeth, wash face with a super gentle cleanser (since I will be washing it again after morning gym).
  • JUST GO! GO OUTSIDE, GO TO THE GYM, GO TO YOUR LIVING ROOM RUG! JUST DO IT! EVEN IF YOU IMMEDIATELY TURN AROUND AND COME BACK BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO TIME OR CAN’T BE BOTHERED.

Exercise

I used to be totally overwhelmed about exercising, to the point where I told myself that just entering my apartment’s gym counts as “going to the gym.” Don’t be afraid to start teeny tiny, like even just walking on the treadmill for 3 minutes. That was me not too long ago.

Now, my goal is to keep my heart rate elevated (between 110 and 160 BPM) for at least 20 minutes a day. That’s really it. I use Strava on my Apple Watch, so I glance at it from time to time.

If I am strength training (with body weight or bar bell), I target the large muscle groups and call it a day: legs and back (I consider core to be included in the types of exercises I usually do).

  • Bare minimum at the gym: 3x10 deadlifts + 3x10 squats.
    • Sometimes I add triceps, dead hang, or an assortment of weight machines because they feel like low mental effort.
    • Sometimes I get on the rowing machine, treadmill, or elliptical for a while.
  • If I can, I love attending yoga, pilates, and kickboxing classes.
  • If I’m feeling antsy, a walk/jog outside is nice.

Work

I have heard that everyone has daily rhythms beyond just sleeping and waking. I highly recommend paying attention to your energy levels and scheduling your tasks around them (as best as you can). I usually do high-output work (writing a paper, coding) in the morning and high-input work (brainstorming, literature review, peer review) in the afternoon. I squeeze in busywork (emails, paperwork) between major tasks. For me, this process is more productive than, say, ordering my work in order of importance.

  • If I’m going to the office, I always unpack my bag, set up my desk, and get coffee/water, in that order. It is calming, for some reason.
  • Every Monday, I write down the week’s schedule and tasks.
  • At the start of work, I write down the day’s events and tasks. Sometimes I number them. I work on the most important (not the most urgent) thing first.
  • Stand up, stretch, and walk around once an hour. No, not because my Apple Watch said so. I turned that function off. Because I am prone to lower-back pain and this helps prevent it.
  • At the end of work, I write down the next tasks to do. It helps me get started the next day. It also helps me relax for the rest of the day since I don’t have to worry about forgetting anything.

Food

  • I often have a big, late breakfast and skip lunch.
  • If I’m making breakfast at home: two eggs + oatmeal.
  • If I’m looking for lunch near campus: Halal truck (34th/Walnut), Kami (Korean food truck, 33rd/Market), Malaysian food truck (33rd St between Walnut and Locust), DK Sushi (inside Franklin’s Table), Don Memo (38th/Spruce, when I’m feeling like trekking), Pita Chip (if I have a Student Health or dentist appointment).
  • If I’m brunching before office-ing: Pho and Cafe Cafe (43rd/Spruce), Sang Kee Noodle House (36th/Chestnut, they have a lunch special and the rice bowls are huge!).