Rhythm and Routine

One of the things I have learned over the years is how much my body-mind loves rhythm and routine, and how calming that can be for my nervous system.

As a culture, we tend to have become quite disconnected from the rhythms of nature- the daily rhythm of light and dark, the seasonal rhythms, the monthly cycles. We stay up late under artificial lights, we eat at erratic times. Many people live in a sort of constant chaos, with an overly overstimulated nervous system.

Research has shown that people who have been through trauma- which is most of us, but some are more extreme - can really benefit from simple things like regular meal times, and bedtimes. Children especially benefit from the sense of stability that routines provide.

Learning to make 3 regular meals a day for Dave, my husband, and I, has meant we resort to take -aways, restaurants or poor food choices far less often. It does take a bit of organisation to have food in the house and some plans of what to do with it, and it has taken me years to refine that, and set up systems, such as a weekly organic box of fruit and veg being delivered.

We go to bed at a similar time most nights. We have a morning self-care routine before we start work for the day.

It sounds so simple, but it can make a big difference to a dysregulated nervous system. It is a shift from being buffeted by chaotic mental energies, to tuning into the natural world we are part of, and the needs of the body.

Do you resonate?