Before I became pregnant, I was a very routine-oriented person. When I moved out and was in college, I had a solid morning routine, night routine, and weekend routine. When the pandemic hit, this went into overdrive as I would plan out my day by the natural flow of my rhythms. Nothing was unorganized or out of place. Every moment of my day felt gently accounted for.
Of course, when I needed to take a “do nothing” day, I would. Afterward, I would reset my routines for the next day and do it all over again. But life fluctuates. There’s moving, jobs, family, now a husband and baby. My routines have been all over the place. I felt very haphazard. Days would go by, and I was just living in them with no clear guides or way of life. After I had the baby, the only schedule I was on was my breastfeeding schedule, and that was it.
But now my son is a year old and is starting to express more independence. Of course, not total independence, but something that would benefit from some structure. I saw a video online that talked about how you go from keeping the baby alive to then also having to parent them, and that’s the shift I’m in now. So come the routines.
I try to structure our days by the natural flow of my son: when he naps, when he’s likely to get hungry, and what’s the best time to play Sesame Street versus Steven Universe. I make his schedule and plan my life around that.
However, there are days when we run errands, or we need a break from doing the same thing every day, and we just want to mix it up. But for the most part, I think what we are doing now is pretty solid. Every day is different, but the key elements are there.
Morning Non-Negotiables
Here are a few non-negotiables I include in my morning routine before my son wakes up that make the day feel lighter and more put-together.
I Take a Shower
I take a shower, or at least stand under water, every morning, depending on whether I’m going to the gym or if I took a shower the night before. Doing this wakes up my body and kick-starts my system.
I always do this with candlelight since it’s not as harsh and helps my eyes adjust from total darkness to the light of day.
I Open the House
I open the curtains to let in natural light because, at this point, I still refuse to acknowledge any artificial light source.
I open the windows to let in the fresh air and try to leave them open as long as possible, given the cold air and pollen.
I Drink Green Tea
I am not a coffee person, nor am I a milk person. But I’d like to be.
So I started drinking green tea because I think that’s the next best thing. I tried making a matcha latte, but like I said, I am not a milk person, and I have tried many variations. I just don’t like it.
Instead, I add juice to my tea and make it into a refresher drink. It’s been really nice, and it’s something I look forward to.
I have a set time that I wake up my son every morning, and if I have enough time after doing my little routines, I’ll clean the house a bit, write, stretch, or do whatever feels like it needs to be done before my son wakes up.
Then we start our day.
I know it might not seem like much, and there are definitely other things I’d like to add or include in my routine. But no day is the same. There are some days when I get everything done and then some, and then there are days when I have to stop what I’m doing and tend to my son before finishing my routine.
But my biggest takeaway is that everything eventually gets done.
I create my little structure in the morning and feel better about the day, and that helps.
light & gather 
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