Get OUT of your norm, to get INTO your routine

We just arrived back from our family trip to Newfoundland to visit our "Newfoundland Family". It's my favourite place on Earth. It's true, I really haven't been many places... But it doesn't matter. Newfoundland (and our beautiful East Coast in Canada holds my heart 100%).

As always, we did NOT want to leave.

What I was more aware of this trip however, was MY daily routine. The ebs and flows and rhythm of most of my days, that was absent for obvious reasons. From the foods/drinks we ingested, to the activities, to the sleep/wake times and routines. sometimes the travel in a day going and exploring different places... It was ALL out of the norm for me.

A few things come to mind on that note...

The first is realizing the importance of GETTING AWAY from your normal routines.

Whether you fly to somewhere in our beautiful country we live in or just head a couple ofhours away, GETTING out of your normal daily routines is a good switch for your mind and body for a wide variety of reasons relating to deep health. Even though many of us (present company included) are reluctant to do so sometimes. 🙄

That break from your usual daily routines, responsibilities and everything in between, creates for me, the second thing that came to mind towards the end of our week long family vacation... 👇

Getting OUT of your norm, helps you APPRECIATE (or adjust) your normal routine(s).

As with any trip to "the Rock" I never want to leave. But one thing that was apparent towards the end of our trip this year was how much I missed MY daily routine. The ebs and flows of the days, the way most of my mornings begin, the "me-time" built into most days by design, the quiet times vs social vs busy times... It made me look forward to THAT part of my days/weeks again that were more in my control at home.

This realization then lead me to a third thought ....

Do you have the ABILITY to go away and experience something DIFFERENT?

As always, to each their own. I know from clients in the past and stories from other folks, there are people who can't go away and just BE where they are and DO whatever their vacation brings, but instead "have to" get their exercise in or "have to" stay STRICT on their diet or "have to" adjust the plans of others in their group to ensure they get their hill sprints done for example.

This to me is NOT healthy. I'm not saying you have to completely obliterate your normal habits/routine, but can you "go with the flow" and/or "be flexible" and JUST ENJOY your trip?? Or does "your norm" have to end up flowing into EVERYONE ELSE'S while on vacation? It's that reminder that LIFE is anything but straightforward and building the skill of FLEXIBILITY (in the mental sense) is HUGE to living a healthy, happy lifestyle.

As my coaching has evolved to more mindset, habit and lifestyle based vs solely exercise and nutrition, it really made me aware of these sorts of things on our trip. It doesn't make the trip "bad" (by any stretch), but it opened my awareness to what I do in my regular day-to-day, and how it makes ME feel inside and out. It made me think about things like...

What parts of my days do I miss the most?

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What types of feelings am I missing from doing particular habits / routines?

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What things aren't as big of a deal missing out on as I may have thought?

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What do I want to keep intact and get back to, and what could I adjust (if anything)?

We don't often give ourselves and our habits this kind of attention, and I truly feel it's a major contributer to how so many people feel in regards to their health and lifestyle. We do so much because we think we "should" or because we've simply "gone with the crowd". But that won't stick will it?? That's not a sustainable (OR enjoyable) way of living, when it's not YOUR way.

Now, or during your next vacation when things aren't quite in your normal routine, check in with yourself about how that makes you feel? If you find it makes you MISS your day to day routine, you may just appreciate it that much more when you get to get back to it after your trip. OR if you've discovered some adjustments or "ah ha" moments to be made, you now have something to work with to allow you to continue to grow and self-experiment to create the health and lifestyle YOU truly WANT.