Question 7: On Routines
Published July 29, 2026
Question: Other than religious practices, what is something that you have incorporated into your daily/weekly routine that makes life better?
Rachel’s Response from 2023
Before I share my response, I have to tell you a funny story regarding this question. Prior to sending this question to my community, I was toying around with the wording, wanting to get it exact and make it sound well phrased. Still feeling a bit vulnerable about it, I sent the question to people anyway. I’m sure it was fine…right?A week went by, and I received no email notifications telling me that people responded to my form (like I usually do). As each day passed, I grew more insecure. Obviously, my community must think I am stupid, or that my question was stupid, therefore making me stupid. OR perhaps no one responded because I was such a low priority or because no one wanted to do the book project anymore. I discussed these notions with my family and they reminded me that summer is a busy time for everyone and that none of these insecure beliefs were true. I didn’t believe them of course.
A week after sending out the question, I went into the form again to look over my phrasing and it turned out that 12 people had responded! WOW! Wait, what? How? Here is what happened: I did not turn on the proper setting on my google form that makes it so I receive email notifications when people respond. So people were responding throughout the week and I just didn’t know it. All of my insecure suspicions were lies after all!
I’m sure there is a metaphor in that story somewhere, but what I will tell you is this: 1). Always triple check your settings. 2). The insecure lies you believe are never true, and people tend to think more highly of us than we do of ourselves.
Now for my answer to the question at hand: Other than religious practices, what is something that you have incorporated into your daily/weekly routine that makes life better? There are so many things, and so I will share my list with you.
Weekly bubble baths
Watch a movie that is new to me every 1~7 days.
Do a weekly nose strip to clear blackheads.
Use an electronic foot massager every 1~7 days.
Never wear lazy clothes during the day. Always put some effort into my appearance in order to help me wake up, but also feel more professional each day.
Go on 1~4 walks each day.
Listen to classical music daily.
Eat chocolate daily (for obvious reasons).
Try to go to a performance once a week, but it is more of a once a month gig and twice a month if I am lucky.
Responses from My Community
“Spending time with people you love, like family & friends. That’s something our souls need more than we possibly can imagine. It’s our safe haven, our place of belonging, it’s the people who will have our back no matter what. We are living in an epidemic of loneliness, depression, and anxiousness, and for our well-being we should not isolate and recluse. Especially when we go through hard times, we need people who love and support us around us.”~ Female, 40.
“I go for a walk every day! Even if I just have 15 minutes, getting outside and moving my body in a way that makes me happy helps make my day so much better”~ Nonbinary, 21.
“Everyday I send this simple text (♥️🐻♥️😺) to my ailing sister (in Maui). We gave ourselves the names Sister Bear and Sister Kitty several years ago. There are days when she is unable to text but I want her to know that I'm thinking of her. My daughter and I also exchange daily texts - primarily wishing each other a great day and letting each other know what our plans are. I also strive to write a letter and/or card to friends and relatives throughout the week. These connections are very dear to me.” ~ Female, 78.
“Guided imagery and affirmation meditations are a soothing and supportive practice for me. There are many out there, but not all are composed equally well. Belleruth Naparstek has a range of them for helping cope with or heal from anger, grief, cancer, and other challenges. Kaiser Permanente, among others, has made her audio recordings available. Often one can find legitimately therapeutic, professionally produced guided meditations in mental wellness resources at universities. But my truly consistent practice is grounded in nurturing, fostering, and enjoying the relationships with my non-human animal family members, without whom my life would be shallow, impoverished, joyless, and close to meaningless.” ~ Female, 50+.
“Since March of this year, I have been maintaining a daily spreadsheet as to which food and beverages I’m consuming. This is in an effort to be mindful toward healthier eating. Exercise is also tracked on this sheet. Something else within my routine (more so a self care activity) is to take long baths. I’ve been doing this for a few years now, more than just to get clean. I love bath products like bath bombs, bath salts, and bubble bars. It’s so fun picking out products since the options are endless - you could get several shapes and designs of bath bombs, not to mention - fragrances! I personally like to indulge in bath products from Lush Cosmetics as their bath bombs are over the top. Many of them are quite colorful and have popping crystals that pop when they dissolve in the water. I also like buying products from local businesses, such as at farmers market events.” ~ Female, 27.
“The last thing I do every night is play Wordle with my partner, put my phone on sleep mode, and read until I'm tired. Not looking at a screen right before bed has been a significant stress and stimulation reducer.” ~ Anonymous.
“Every Sunday I spend the evening with a loved one cooking a meal from scratch, then watching a movie with them. No phones, no one else. It is truly peaceful, quality time during the hectic times in my life.” ~Female, 19.
“Running. It is a good way to start the day and facilitates a positive attitude heading into whatever is ahead.” ~ Male, 42.
“I have beautiful gardens that I walk in every morning. A meditative routine that sets the tone for the day.” ~ Female, 65.
“Music, music, music, music, music, and more music!” ~ Female, 60.
“It sounds silly but honestly just smiling and being goofy in the mirror at myself either in the morning before going to work or at night before bed. It feels good to look at myself and be happy with who I am and just be a little silly to make me laugh.” ~ Female, 26.
“I make myself a nice breakfast every morning so that I can meditate for a while on a cup of coffee and center myself for the day.” ~ Female, 42.
“Stretching— it helps my body and also is part of my routine before bed and has helped improve my sleep” ~ Female, 45.
“Honestly, I don’t have an answer for this question, but the question has prompted me to make some changes for the better.” ~ Female, 64.
“I have getting daily exercise has significantly increased my quality of life. The type of exercise I get varies on a daily basis. I do everything from walking, running, hiking, biking, and weight lifting. I like to mix it up to keep it interesting. I have found on the days I exercise, I am more focused on the tasks I have to complete for the rest of my day. I have also seen value in getting up at a consistent time even if I do not have anything panned. Sleep is important but I find sometimes people use it to avoid facing what the day has for them. I do better going to bed and getting up at reasonable times.” ~Male 26
“Something I’ve incorporated recently is sitting outside in the morning everyday. Before going to work, I like to sit outside on my balcony, sometimes drinking some coffee. It’s something small, but it starts the day off with a clear mind.” ~ Female, 24.
“Starting each day with ½ fresh lemon squeezed into 4 oz hot water with half tsp honey!” ~ Female, 52.