Is it time for a routine refresh?

March is here which means spring is just around the corner, despite what the LA weather is showing me right now. And I think the end of the first quarter is the perfect time to hit reset on anything in your life that’s just not working – especially your daily or weekly routines.

A good way to tell if you need to revamp a routine is to check your progress on your goals and intentions. If you’re missing the mark every month, it’s probably time for a routine refresh. I wrote about my top 3 intentions for 2023 at the beginning of January, linked here.

Side note: there’s also a chance you need to revamp your goals. First, ask yourself why this is one of your goals. Make sure your goals align with your values and your overall vision for your life and that you’re not just trying to do something that someone told you that you should do. Second, if you decide your goal is actually your goal, have an honest conversation about why you’re having a hard time completing the steps it will take to achieve this goal. Do you need to move this goal to another season of your life? Or is it simply that the routine you have in place to work on these intentions is no longer working? If so, keep reading!

How to Reset Your Routine

The key to resetting your routine is asking yourself what’s working, what isn’t, and what can you do about it.

For example, let’s say you have a goal of exercising regularly. You know that what works is exercising in the morning before it’s time to start the workday because at night you’re too exhausted to do anything but go to sleep. But this requires you to wake up earlier and that’s what’s not working. So, you have two options here: 1) you could revamp your routine so that you get in a workout during your lunch break, or 2) you could slowly make yourself a morning person. If your goal is to wake up at 5 am and right now you get up at 6 am, get up 15 minutes earlier each day until you hit your target.

Waking up an hour earlier is a good way to make time for nearly any goal: writing a book, reading more books, or starting a business.

The Importance of Routines

You may be thinking, Sloane, I’m not trying to achieve any huge goals. My life is so chaotic right now that I’m simply trying to survive day to day. I hear you, but routines can help with that too.

The most hectic times are the most important times to stay consistent with routines.

I travel A LOT but having a consistent skincare routine and bedtime routine helps me stay grounded and feel at home no matter where I am.

What activities and what products help you feel your best? Maybe, like me, you don’t feel like yourself unless you’ve gone through your skincare routine. Maybe it’s journaling or drinking tea every morning. Maybe it’s going for a walk after work. It doesn’t have to be overly elaborate, it just has to be consistent.

For me, that necessary routine takes the form of self-care. I look forward to my face masks, body lotions and scrubs as something I can depend on. I’ve linked my current faves here for quick access.

I love to end my days with a piping hot shower. I’ll usually use a shower steamer in a relaxing scent like lavender because I’m a big believe in aromatherapy. In the shower I typically exfoliate with a body scrub and I’ll wash my face. Once I’m out of the shower I’ll layer on body moisturizers and any facial skincare treatments. I always travel with diffusers or candles so I can carry the scents of home with me. So I’ll turn those on as I wind down.

When I can ground myself in those consistent routines, it really helps to quiet the noise and feelings of being derailed that might otherwise accompany a super stressful or hectic schedule.

So, establish a skincare and self-care routine of your own and commit to sticking to it no matter what. If you feel you don’t have time for either, try the tips I mentioned above for waking up earlier and use that extra time to take care of yourself.

My Sunday Routine

When I am home, I go all out for my Sunday routine.

I usually would wake up around 6:40 am when my stepson wakes us up and I drink a big glass of water. After checking my phone and going through my notifications (I know the experts say not to do this first thing in the morning, but it is what it is.), I will run through my morning skincare routine (which is just using a gentle cleaner and applying sunscreen). Then, we’ll head down to the kitchen and make a big brunch. Right now, we’re loving Kodiak Cakes protein pancake mix for an extra boost of protein.

After a leisurely breakfast, we’ll head to a park to play. We’re living in Boston right now while my husband plays for the New England Revolution and we have a bunch of great parks right near us. After the park, we’ll head home and watch some TV, maybe dozing off for an afternoon nap.

For dinner, we usually go for hibachi. It’s interactive, fun, and something we really enjoy doing as a family. After we get home, I’ll go through a longer version of my nighttime skin routine and usually start with a piping hot shower.

Sundays like this are rare for me but they give me something to look forward to. Perhaps in addition to your daily and weekly routines, you can also include something a bit more elaborate that you can look forward to doing once a month or once a quarter. It could be a day with family or a getaway to spend time with yourself. The key is to plan it. Otherwise, it probably won’t happen.

Take some time to figure out if you need to reset any of your routines this spring and commit to being consistent. Keeping the promises you make to yourself is one of the best forms of self-care and one of the greatest acts of self-love.