Finding Flow Within Structure

How to Create a Routine that Isn’t Rigid

Structure and routine are important aspects of many of our lives. They help us stay organized and on task and allow us to be successful in our endeavors. Additionally, freedom, flow, and creativity are necessary parts of our lives.

Often these pieces - structure and routine, freedom and flow - are presented as opposing forces, pulling in opposite directions. However, they don’t have to be in conflict; each can coexist to create a healthy balance in life. Can you identify moments of structure in your life? What about moments of flow? Are they ever intertwined?

Over the past year, 2020 led to our structures and routines being challenged by a changing world and reality. The pandemic has changed our day-to-day lives and therefore our day-to-day routines and structure. It’s now more important than ever to find a balance between structure and flow and, in many ways, it is also now more difficult than ever to find this balance.

It’s important to remember that for every person, balance looks and functions differently. The way our friends and family balance life may not be the same as us and that is ok. So how should we approach this balancing act?

For some, structure and routine may be harder to form than freedom and flow. If this sounds like you, you might consider trying the following:

Creating Structure

Set physical boundaries

It is important to distinguish between workspaces and spaces of relaxation, eating, sleeping, and playing. Separating your workspace from other areas will allow you to be more focused and productive while working and allow you to let go more fully of work when you are not working.

In our increasingly virtual and at-home world, creating separate workspaces has become even more important. For those who can’t create separate spaces, try shifting lighting or arrangement of objects to help your mind adjust to work time and relaxation time.

The priority is best placed on ensuring we can truly rest when we are meant to rest and not let work stress or anxiety seep in.

Create a schedule that plays to your strengths

Some of us are most productive first thing in the morning; for others, their best work happens once the sun has set. Tune into your body and mind and observe when you focus best.

When possible schedule your priorities in accordance with those times. If you’re able to work from home, now is a great opportunity to create a schedule that allows you to work when you want.

Scheduling your work time and your non-work time will also allow you to be focused and productive for a set period of time each day rather than letting all time become work time. It will set clear boundaries for work and make it easier to step away when your scheduled work time is over.

Make a checklist

The tasks of a week, or even a day, can often be overwhelming. We frequently have more to do in a day than we can reasonably be expected to keep straight in our head.

Writing out the things we want to accomplish in a day or a week can be an excellent way of ensuring everything gets done and is accounted for, and it can clear up headspace leaving room for the more important and complex tasks at hand. It may also be useful to distinguish what must be done from what can be done.

This will allow you to prioritize your day and more importantly, it will create space for you to be kind to yourself and give yourself a break when needed by letting go of the things on your list that may not be a priority that day.

Be mindful of what is getting put on your list - is it all work-focused or are you also prioritizing family time, self-care, leisure, dreaming, hobbies, and other tasks that enhance rather than detract from wellbeing.

Take breaks

We are not machines! We cannot run 24/7 without stopping; our minds, bodies and spirits need breaks throughout the day.

Scheduling in breaks to get outside and feel the sun, move your body, clear your mind and rest will help keep you healthy and allow you to return to the task at hand refreshed and reenergized. It is important to consider how different “break-activities” make you feel.

For example taking a 15 minute walk outside can help clear your mind, allow your joints and muscles to move freely and relieve them from the stress or sitting or standing still.

Stepping away from a screen can also be beneficial to your eyes and your mind. Being out in the sun can fulfill your body’s daily dose of vitamin-D which will have positive effects on your mental and physical health. Getting outside can help you to feel connected to the people and environment around you and help clear your mind of anxious or persistent thoughts.

Alternatively, taking a break and watching TV for twenty minutes may not feel as refreshing. If more passive coping skills are used too often, we might we return from things like watching TV feeling more sluggish and tired and we haven’t given our eyes a much needed break from an electronic screen.

That said, sometimes we do need activities that allow us to shut off and zone out; be intentional and allow yourself the gift of truly meeting your needs in the moment. Pay attention to how you feel after taking a break and try to find activities that refresh and re-energize you.

For others, the structure may come naturally and feel comfortable while finding space for flow, freedom, and creativity may prove to be difficult. If you identify with this here are some tips to make space for flow in your life:

Finding Flow

Meditation

If you often find you have trouble quitting some of your busy or anxious thoughts, meditation can help quiet your thoughts, calm your body, and decrease your stress.

In the long term, mediation can also improve your ability to handle and cope with stress and increase memory and focus!

I appreciate thinking of meditation as the process of returning to a focused mantra or intention (like breath); it’s ok if your mind isn’t blank. Rather than trying to achieve a blank state, practice returning your focus despite any distractions.

Gratitude practice

Finding and focusing on the things we are grateful for in our day-to-day or weekly lives is a great way to help us gain perspective.

It's easy to get bogged down in the nitty-gritty of work and other responsibilities but pausing to reflect on what we’re grateful for can help us see the bigger picture and refocus on what is important.

It can be as simple as thinking of three things you’re grateful for while brushing your teeth or it could be extended into a longer gratitude journal or meditation.

Find your passions & joy

Leading with your passions and knowing the areas of your life that bring you joy will allow you to prioritize the things that are most important to you.

Finding your passions can help introduce freedom and joy to tasks that may otherwise be challenging.

What interests us and brings fulfillment might also be ever-changing. Check in on what pastimes still bring enjoyment and feel empowered to switch things up if things are stagnant.

Start small

Finding flow in our day-to-day life can be challenging. Start with some small adjustments like taking breaks from your desk to stretch and look away from the computer screen rather than powering through meeting-to-meeting.

You may find those small adjustments are all it takes to help find some flow and, at the very least, starting small will make it easier to build up to bigger changes.

Other challenges like eating with your non-dominant hand, taking a new route on your walk, and choosing a new breakfast food or tea flavor are other small ways to introduce a bit more freedom and creativity.

Try Reiki

If you feel like you’re having trouble finding flow, Reiki could be a great way to experience a shift, release stagnant energy, and re-energize. I offer virtual Reiki, which is a great place to start if you’re curious.

Give some of these ideas a try, and see how they feel. However, as we work on finding balance, it's important to remember not everything will work for you.

The lists above are not meant to be comprehensive nor prescriptive; rather, they should serve as a starting point for a first step.

Some of us naturally gravitate toward structure and routine while others tend toward freedom. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, the key is in balance. So how do we incorporate these seemingly opposed ideals?

Incorporating Structure & Flow

Leave room to be flexible

Creating a structure that allows for change and flexibility can be a great way to naturally incorporate flow into our routines. For instance, scheduling breaks to stretch, move, get outside, dance, or close our eyes is a great way to ensure that in the midst of a busy day, we take time for ourselves and allow our bodies, minds and spirits to stay present.

Checklists & flow

Hold on to your completed checklists. When you need a boost, it can be great to look back on past lists you’ve completed to see just how much you’ve already accomplished; take this time to be proud!

And remember “accomplishment” can also look like “danced with the sun, didn’t look at my work email, observed the trees, had virtual lunch with my dad.”

Try different approaches & don’t be afraid to fail

Finding flow within our structure is meant to be a tool to help balance our lives and introduce freedom and creativity. We are dynamic and changing beings, so our approach to wellness can shift and adjust too. Try practicing holding yourself accountable with gentleness and empathy.

Give yourself grace

We are not beholden to routines we set or to new practices. Give yourself the grace to try something new and decide whether it's right for you. We are all different and different approaches will work differently for each of us.

Given all of daily responsibilities and tasks and the pressure that can come with them, it is important to have structure in our day that can help guide us through our tasks.

However, we are not robots; we can’t work straight through everyday and we are not defined by work or productivity. We must find ways to allow our bodies and minds to flow freely within our structures and to prioritize our holistic wellbeing over endless “to dos.”

Doing so will help us to become more balanced and more fulfilled. Whether we find ourselves being a bit too harsh on the structure side and need to invite in flow or we tend toward the free spirit end and need a little accountability, I invite you to practice balance and empathic accountability. As always, book a free consultation if you find guidance would be valuable.