I’ve read that many people with schizophrenia and closely related disorders find themselves more functional when they have a specific, repetitive routine for every day. For example, getting up at the same time each day, eating the same foods at the same times each day, going to the same places, doing the same thing.
Personally I cannot STAND routine and it bores and stifles me – but for the first few weeks I do find myself more functional and happier, knowing exactly what to expect.
Do you have a daily routine? Do you believe routine helps? Or do you just fly by the seat of your pants and do whatever needs to get done?
I need a pretty high level of routine so things don’t fall apart on me.
I do try to get up the same time each day… I don’t eat the same foods… I go to work. It’s is a flax schedule… but it’s slow in changing… the winter hours are short… the summer hours are longer.
There is a fair level of routine to my job… I might be on a different location or might be doing some different task… but it’s not out of the blue new stuff…
Flying by the seat of my pants? No… to stressful and then then anxiety will kick in.
To help break that routine… I do try to go some where new once a week… my sis and I call it Adventure Sunday… so yes… even being spontaneous has some routine to it. That way I feel on more solid ground.
I’m really bad about pushing myself to new places where I have no idea what to expect.
I think it is very important to keep you grounded, especially routines that involve other people. It can be difficult to start and maintain a routine all on your own, if others rely on you it is much easier I find. I am currently writing a thesis and now that my classes have finished, those routines are gone. I find I am less productive now.
Was a student tdoc who said to me once routine keep us sz grounded. Myself still haven’t got what I had originally planned into a routine from my last hospital. Between a painful pulled muscle which I seemed to keep agitating for ages and struggling with finding a decent tdoc. I pretty much haven’t got as far forward as I had originally had planned with setting it all up.
I have a routine of sorts. I don’t always take my med’s at the same time, but I do take them in the morning. I also take two grams of sarcosine in the morning. I’ve been walking for one hour in the morning and one in the evening for exercise, more or less at the same time every day. I usually shower near the same time every morning. As a matter of fact, I am going to shower right now.