Establishing a routine can help the transition from summer mode to school-year mode. Find the balance of fun, life, and work for yourself and those around you.

Structure is a word that people in education hear all the time, but how does that translate to your personal life? Well, if you have personal structure (routines that help you keep a balance) you are more able to help others implement their own structures. Let’s explore how to create a balanced routine, strategies to maintain it, and why it matters.

How

To create a routine for your personal life, you first have to take a close look at where your time is needed. Are you someone who needs more than eight hours of sleep to function? Do you need to set aside time for breakfast every day or are you a snacker? Knowing things like that about yourself is crucial to setting your daily routine. Once you know your daily non-negotiables, you can identify the responsibilities you have to meet for the week. Most people have to be at work at specific start and end times and have to fit the rest of life in around that. Your other responsibilities (pets, kids, clubs/classes, etc.) then get inked in at the times they need to happen and the daily non-negotiables get penciled in around that. Finally, you have the freedom to find time for your fun things (the things that refill your bucket). Here is an example of my schedule to see how that works:

• Daily non-negotiables: coffee, animal care
• Time-bound commitments: work, animal care, coursework
• Bucket filling: reading, quiet time, social events.

Strategies

How do you stick to such a routine? I personally use a planner and a monthly calendar to keep everything straight. My time is scheduled out about four weeks ahead of time just to keep myself on track. If I know I have a time-bound commitment that I don’t typically have (dinner with friends, shows, etc.), my schedule adjusts everywhere except the work hours. To-do lists are also a highly utilized strategy, so I know what errands and household duties I need to get done during the times I have set aside for those. Now, I know I go a little overboard, but I also utilize alarms and timers to know when to stop responsible time or fun time and switch to the other. If I don’t use those, I will likely just keep going until I feel like I am done, and then I have thrown off the routine for the next few days.

There are apps and websites that you can use to manage schedules and responsibilities as well. 

• Structured – This app is a virtual calendar that allows you to follow what you’re scheduled to do in the day and keep your to-do list items in one place. It even offers suggestions of when you can schedule in a break or cross some things off your to-do list.
•  TickTick – A website that houses all the lists you need and gives a snapshot of the different schedules that you manage (daily, weekly, monthly). You can assign yourself tasks and deadlines to complete them, manage habit trackers, and utilize focus timers through the website
•  Google Calendar (or any phone calendar) – Always in your pocket, the calendar on your phone can help keep dates straight and connect to your computer, Alexa, or other devices. You can share this calendar with your partner or family to give insight into when you are available for plans or to put things on their calendars as well.

Why

Structures and routines organize your brain and help everything get done. When your brain doesn’t feel organized, it starts to create structure in the chaos, and we often start building unhealthy habits to get everything accomplished. Our brains start to send stress signals, knowing there are responsibilities not being met or things that feel like they will never get done. When we can get ahead of that and create the structure for ourselves, our brains are then able to give more energy to the things that deserve it (family, friends, fun). It keeps the chaos at a manageable level so we can do all the aspects of life in a less stressful way!

Now apply this reasoning to children. When children feel unstructured, their brains start sending signals that make them think the situation is unsafe. They rely on adults to create structured settings, as well as adults who feel stable and predictable when things may not be going smoothly. They can tell when their leaders didn’t plan/prepare anything, and it impacts the experience they have. This makes it harder to transition back into organized activities from the summer flexibility. For example, a kid who loves playing baseball with their friends often struggles at their first practice back because all of a sudden there is structure, but they keep coming back for more and may even eventually add some organization into their play time in the off season!

Structure and routines don’t have to be mundane. It’s just providing a format to follow to ease the brain’s inclination for anxiety, chaos, or survival mode. Set aside time to go out with friends or have no plans. Pencil in time for chaos or the unknown. Plan for the meltdown so it doesn’t catch you at the most inconvenient time. This is the balance our brains crave and better allows us to roll with the punches as they come.

Conclusion

The more predictable or organized a schedule is, the easier it is for the chaos moments to feel controlled. As adults, if we put the effort in to create structure, we are not the only ones reaping the benefit. The children we work and live with feel it and are more able to regulate themselves during the transition from summer to school as well.

Warmly,

Elaine Seekon

About the Writer

Elaine is an educator by trade and passion, licensed in Special Education areas of Emotional Behavior Disorders, Specific Learning Disabilities, and Autism Spectrum Disorders, as well as Secondary Communicative Arts. Education-driven, she has previously completed a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Social Psychology. She is currently working as a Behavior Specialist in a high school setting. With Spirit & Truth Publishing, Elaine is happily employed as a writer and editor.

This blog post is part of a monthly series of practical advice for faith formation leaders by faith formation and education professionals. Summaries of these posts are sent in a monthly email to email subscribers. Subscribe today!