by Sara Keller

Making transitions visible

Checking emails while having breakfast, chewing on the morsel in our mouths and sipping our coffee. Everything happens at the same time and we are not really involved in any one thing. This can quickly overwhelm us and we lose the overview between our daily routines. With a fast-paced and hectic world around us, we may no longer consciously notice the transitions in our daily lives as we quickly move from one part of the day to the next on autopilot. For many, the everyday transitions are still particularly visible in the morning and evening, because this is where a certain part of the day begins or ends. This part of the day can be work, care work, education or something else and takes up a lot of space in our daily routine. If we are not on the ball and do everything at once instead of step by step, the otherwise visible transitions disappear. We are already planning the next customer appointment at breakfast or answering a few work emails on the way home. The result can be, for example, that we are unable to consciously get involved in the start of work and our focus is lost in the multitasking of our thoughts before we have even begun. After work, for example, we find it difficult to switch off and let go of the previous part of the day.

If we pay more attention to the transitions in our daily routine, we can make them a valuable support for our well-being. In this way, we can find our focus in the morning and take distance from the day's events in the evening and ensure relaxation.

Routines for focus and relaxation

We start and end the day differently, because everyday life is different for all of us. Our morning and evening routines can help us to be more mindful and aware of the change from one part of the day to the next. It is worthwhile to take a closer look at your own routines and find out what suits you currently and individually.

Morning routines

Our morning routines are different, individual and linked to our life situation. You are your own morning expert! Take a look at your typical start to the day and find out which small and large transitions there are. How do you get up, for example? And how do you spend the time until the start of the next big part of the day?

If you first become aware of the different stages of your daily life, you may find that the transitions are sometimes not so easy to find. When you have found them, you can ask yourself in a second step: Are there moments when you do things from a section that are not yet on the agenda and you are not really on the job?

A small example: You have just woken up and are not yet fully present. The first thing you do is reach for your smartphone and scroll through your newsfeed, the latest news and quickly check the weather. These things can also wait for you for a moment until you are really awake and have moved from the horizontal to the vertical. At this point, you could consider moving the smartphone check-up routine to another part of the day and, for example, make waking up without distractions your new routine. This way, you can collect yourself at the beginning of the day without putting your mind directly under the ice-cold shower of information.

Evening routines

Our evenings can be as different as we are and full of routines, as well as small and large transitions. Very succinct here for most is probably the end of work. The working day is over and we can relax and replenish our reserves. But switching off is not always that easy. Often, we are still mentally wrapped up in our workday long into the evening, or we still have to do something for work. At this point, too, you can take a conscious look at your end of the day. What does it usually look like and what routines are in it?

Many people already have routines at the end of the day that help them switch off, and that's a good thing. We know best what is good for us and brings us relaxation. Nevertheless, it can help to take a look at these routines. Maybe our everyday life has changed or our needs have changed and the routines that once suited us are no longer relevant. At this point, you can also be open to experiment and integrate something completely new into your after-work routine. With meditation, for example, you can stop the carousel of thoughts after work and find peace for your mind. Over time, this can become an after-work routine so that you can not only physically but also mentally arrive at home and with yourself.

Our routines support our everyday life. They can provide us with a focus on what's at hand and give us space to switch off. For example, the morning exercise session helps us to get a clear head and focus for the coming workday. We can question some routines to see if they still fit our current needs and we can try out and integrate new things. It's okay not to find the right thing right away or to struggle until a new routine is established. Be patient with yourself, because you have already taken the first step by becoming more aware of the processes and transitions in your everyday life.

(Image: Unsplash)