I have a confession to make: I'm a creature of habit.
On the weekends, my morning ritual is to sleep in, wake up, grab a coffee and read the morning papers or flyers (yes, I am a dinosaur). Since I'm not a morning person, it takes me at least an hour or two to get moving. Once up, I'm good with starting my day, whether that's running off to hockey, walking the dog, meeting a friend for coffee or working around the house.
I come by this trait honestly—I inherited it from my father who was the very epitome of routine. Dave used to say you could set your watch by Dad and know the exact hour and minute when he would walk the dog, read the papers and have his first rye of the day.
I used to feel like I had to apologize for my habitual tendencies until I read an article from Northwestern Medicine linking the positive mental and physical health benefits of having routines. The article stated having a routine can help with stress, sleeping better, eating healthier and being active. Routines can help us achieve balance in our lives and make time to do the things we love and that keep us healthy.
Of course, my routines are the butt of my family's jokes, but even that has become weirdly predictable and reassuring.
I couldn't care less about the science and what my family says. For me, there is just something so comforting and relaxing about the routines I love. They are a safe haven in a crazy world. Even writing this blog on Sunday mornings has become a welcome routine.
This week's #HappyAct is stick to your guns and the routines you love. Gotta go. My second coffee of the morning awaits.
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