HURRICANE-PROOF YOUR ROUTINES
Dr. Krista Coombs, DrAc, IFMCP
June 13, 2025
In this week’s INSIGHTS for Healing by Design, let’s discuss how to hurricane-proof your daily routines and why this is important to do when our plates are filled to the brim with to-do lists!
Have you ever heard this before?⬇️
THE BEST ROUTINE IS THE ONE YOU CAN BREAK.
Let me explain… as this new, uncommon belief comes from years of self-shaming and giving up before learning to change my thoughts. I hope this becomes an idea you can embrace too. Read on…
Writer, Sahil Bloom, calls this concept – The Paradox of Routines.
It’s a paradox, of course, because most of us think routines need to be non-negotiable, strict habits, not ones you can break when needed.
If you’re paying any attention at all to thought leaders in the wellness industry, I’ve no doubt you’ve been encouraged by them to set up strict daily routines to get you to the health goals you envision for yourself.
I’m no exception as a medical cheerleader in the health world. Daily, I’m discussing the significant benefits of being consistent with hydration rules, food timing, exercise types, cold showers, journaling and much more, depending on who I’m speaking to.
The laundry list of To-Do’s can seem endless...
And you know what? The advice thought leaders are giving is usually awesome!
EXCEPT…
When you try to enforce a rigid, complex routine on yourself long term, it’s often no longer a strengthening process as was intended, but becomes a source of unhealthy stress.
A routine that might have served you well for a while starts to own you and run your life. Then if it gets interrupted by life – you get a cold, have an injury, someone in the family has an emergency you need to help with, you go on a vacation…, the routine has to adjust or we might just up and quit.
And from personal experience with routine development for myself, I can do without more chronic stress on my aging body. AND I’m sick to death of shaming myself into expecting 100% perfection no matter what the circumstance.
Now, for myself and patients, I don’t focus on CONSISTENCY because that can be an incredible stress aiming for 100% action.
Instead, I ask myself and patients to focus on COMMITMENT to desired outcomes, WITH built-in conscious flexibility.
HOW TO SET UP SUCCESSFUL ROUTINES
Sahil describes 3 Levels of Routine to help manage this ridiculous expectation of routine perfection, and it has saved me from myself.
A Level: Your ideal routine; if everything goes according to plan
B Level: Your baseline routine; doable on an average day
C Level: Your bare-bones routine; when all hell breaks loose
In practice in every-day life, these levels applied to your routines can make you hurricane-proof just like how skyscrapers are made today to bend and sway with the wind without collapsing!
💥It might look like A Routine for 20% of your days, B Routine for 70%, and C Routine for perhaps 10%. And even these percentages need to remain flexible pending what is showing up in your life each day and how you need to bend to adapt at the time. Be hurricane-proof!
DO THIS RIGHT NOW
➡️ASK YOURSELF THESE 3 QUESTIONS:
Let’s choose your evening routine, to start -
What do I need to aim to do in the evenings to set myself up for an optimal start for tomorrow?
Which of those actions are non-negotiable or are some simply nice to have?
If you only had 5 minutes to get stuff done, what would be the most simplified version of that evening routine?
If you’ve answered these, you now have a RECIPE to create not only your evening routines for Levels A, B and C, but you can next apply the same questions to your morning routine, workout routine, work routine, etc. So, now when life happens, you know exactly what the Routine C is and still stay on track, without shame or quitting. And when life feels pretty manageable, you know Routine A or B can get you to the goal line for the slam dunk! Hurricane-proofing your life like the Queen you are!
The best routines will always be those you are fully aware of, those that have consciously built-in flexibility, and those that ultimately help you achieve your lofty health and life goals with more EASE no matter what comes up in life.
And remember – “should’ing” on yourself is the worst form of cursing.
“Could” on yourself and have room to adapt routines when your life needs some wiggle room, ALL without shame and heavy judgment.
Again, as I’ve mentioned in past blog posts, become an “ENOUGHIST” – give your available 100% moment to moment (which inevitably must vary) because your body and life cannot run at 100% speed 100% of the time without breaking down.
Hurricane-proof your routines and I guarantee you’ll get more benefits than being too rigid with expectation. And likely, you’ll stick to your plans BECAUSE of the built in, consciously decided on flexibility and your commitment to your outcome.
Let your routines serve you to live your best life every day. It’s the only effective plan to manifest true lasting wellness that I’ve yet come across.
Hugs,
Dr. Krista xx
DrAc, IFMCP
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