Making a post about the subtle nuances between rhythms and routines while forgetting to finish my daily essay so writing the next morning instead seems appropriate. I have had a rough time getting back into my rhythm after shaking it up during the festive period. The rhythm of a day or week has to do more with how you think about the day and the way large chunks of time are separated. A key aspect of my rhythm since the start of the lockdowns has been to start my day with activity, and squeeze in at least a small bit of exercise in the evening (which could be as simple as the bike ride home from work when I was going into the office).
Routines are useful for jumping into rhythms, but they can also lead one astray if the routine adds more activities. When I start my day (hopefully about 20 minutes before my alarm sounds so I can turn it off), I immediately drink some water an put on my running clothes and shoes. Assuming I time this part of the routine right and get out the door, then I get into my rhythm of running, and I do not have to think much more about it. The moment that I break this routine for a few days, then I completely lose pace of getting started. Perhaps I start a new routine where I put on my clothes, then "quickly" check the internet and infinitely scroll until it is too late to run before work. Perhaps I turn my alarm off, then crawl back under the covers and read a bit, which turns into an hour and a lost opportunity for a run. For a given day, this can be a great start, but at the point that it becomes a new rhythm (wake up, read, go to work), it is hard to break into a new cycle.
Lockdown has challenged a lot of our routines and rhythms, and I am luckily that I found ones that really get me going and keep me a bit happier. It would have been just as easy to break into a new rhythm where marking the end of the workday comes with opening a beer rather than doing a 20 minute workout. Without random encounters or events to break up the days, finding (and keeping) positive rhythms can be a way to stay positive during this time. It can also be much easier to keep going, as there is no natural break (like a Friday post-work drinks that evolves into watching the sunrise) that destroys the rhythm, so it can go until the world opens up again (or maybe beyond?, time will tell).