NaBloPoHalfMo: Playing with routines

I read in Less that the Dalai Lama, when asked what one word he would choose to describe the secret of happiness, said routines.

I imagine there are personality types for whom this is not true. It's true enough for me that I've been giving it some thought since I read that. I have a couple of examples of small routines that give me tremendous pleasure, and that have definitely helped with my fall gloomies.

• Green smoothies – From the gathering of ingredients to the feeding the blender to the actual consumption, these magic drinks have transformed my morning into a blissful little session of self-care. And knowing that I've given my body such an infusion of healthful things makes me feel healthier, all day long. Two months of almost daily smoothies later, that's a whole lot of healthier!
• Books on CD – Each day that I commute to work (which is more days recently than usually), I go out to the car with a spring in my step because I know I get to listen to a story all the way to work. I check my disc-and-track note from the previous drive, pop in the correct CD, and cruise down the freeway feeling like I'm on vacation. The entertainment and its fabulous distraction from the frustrations of city driving can't be discounted, but it is the establishment of the routine that has given this sanity-saving measure its oomph. Every commute is fun—even the ugly ones, even the one where I limped home on the tiny spare tire, even the ones where people are rude or slow or both. Every commute. Do you know what a transformation that is for me? This post might give you a clue. (Aside: I read once about a study that people who commute are more likely to have heart attacks. I have to wonder if those stats would be different for commuters who listen to stuff they love while they drive.)

Inspired by the success of these routines, I added a Morning Pages routine, a salad-for-lunch routine, a walk-in-the-door routine, a tweeting-while-watching-football routine, a meditation-at-work routine, and an evening routine wherein I write a one-sentence journal, tweet my gratitude list, and put checkmarks on my resolution list. Each routine adds an anchor point, or perhaps a GPS waypoint, to my day. Each routine gives me comfort and enjoyment. And each routine contributes to a feeling of well being, a feeling that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing and taking care of me. I really think the Dalai Lama might be on to something here.

So now I'm wondering what other routines I can add to my day...

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This concludes my NaBloPoHalfMo effort for October. Tomorrow I either start NaNoWriMo or decide a blog post per day is enough of a commitment. You'll be the first to know which I chose.

Happy Halloween!