Your Nervous System Needs Routine
The way to freedom is paved with the repeatable and predictable
I have travelled to over 45 countries. I have lived in 8. I used to think that routine was boring. I was wrong.
“Eat when you are hungry and sleep when you are tired,” I preached. I savoured the freedom.
And then insomnia came. Which was fixed when I adopted a stable sleep schedule.
And then loss came that dysregulated my nervous system.
I started studying how to heal it. And guess what I found.
Your nervous system needs routine.
Life is unpredictable.
There are many things outside of our control. And when you have had a couple of slaps from life, and let’s be honest, who hasn’t, your nervous system might get locked on survival.
Never really relaxing. Subconsciously searching for the next threat. Overreacting to minor events.
By creating predictability on the basics, you send a signal to your body that you are safe. You regulate your hormones. You reduce decision fatigue and free up brainpower for creative tasks.
Whether you are healing a dysregulated nervous system or increasing performance, a good routine is your friend.
So what routine are we talking about here?
I am aiming to have a consistent routine on these 5:
1. Consistent Sleep
Back in the summer of 2023, I heard Bryan Johnson, the millionaire who wants to live forever, talking about having sleep as the number #1 priority, no exceptions.
The no exceptions idea was revolutionary to me. Social hangover, aka sleeping late on Fridays and Saturdays, was so common around me. But that inconsistency ruins your sleep.
I adopted a stable bedtime. I think I have made 2 exceptions in the past year to go to two weddings. I have not been awake during the change of the new year, for example, for many years.
Experts actually suggest that adopting a stable wake-up time, 7 days a week, is more important than a stable go-to-bed time.
I wake up without an alarm; I haven't needed one in years, so I prefer to control my bedtime. Honestly, this consistency solved 90% of my sleep problems.
My body simply got trained to be sleepy at the same time every night.
Sleep is the domino that makes everything else about your health and emotional wellbeing easier.
If you want to meet with me, it will need to be before my bedtime. Because I love myself enough to give my body the gift of recovery.
Do you have a consistent bedtime or wake-up time? How often do you make exceptions?
2. Consistent Social Connection
Social connection is crucial for healing, longevity, and happiness.
One of the most healing things for my nervous system during the last year was weekly barbecues with my brother and his wife. I enjoy my monthly book club meeting. I check in with my best friend every couple of days. My husband meets his buddies every Sunday morning for a run.
Healing happens in relationship.
Creating a rhythm and predictability ensures that the main thing stays the main thing and is not pushed aside by other priorities.
How can you make your social connection consistent and predictable? Weekly/monthly dates with loved ones or friends?
3. Consistent Meal Times
This is the one I am working on right now. I started an operation-6-pack challenge with my son, and one of the daily habits I adopted was to not eat after 7 pm. This improved the quality of my sleep and lowered my resting heart rate.
But also helped me actually have breakfast earlier in the morning before the school drop-off.
Eating meals at regular times keeps your cortisol levels in check.
Your body learns that nutrition is coming when it is supposed to come.
You train your nervous system that you are safe. You have fewer cravings. No episodes of being hangry.
To achieve consistent meal times, I need to keep food readily available.
I experimented with simplifying my cooking. I just put trays of veggies in the oven for 25 minutes with salt and olive oil. I batch-cook the protein. I have the same breakfast every day.
It was a revelation. I do not need to cook a gourmet meal all the time. Simple, easy, and nutritious wins.
Do you have consistent meal times? If not, what changes would you need to make to make them happen?
4. Consistent Movement
Having breakfast before the school drop-off allows me to take a walk afterward, which hits so many birds with one stone.
I get morning sunshine, which helps my circadian rhythm; I get to move after a meal, which stabilises blood sugar; and I get to enjoy nature and movement. Plus, I make it screen-free, which allows for more mindfulness, processing, and creative ideation during my walk.
Exercising at the same time each day helps you develop the habit and removes decision fatigue.
Combining exercise with social connection or nature is even better.
5. Deep Work
I remember struggling to write my newsletter when it was biweekly. When I switched to weekly, it became effortless. It is easier to do something when you do it frequently and on a rhythm. You build the muscle.
Having the same time each day to do deep work is also wonderful.
Doing a 30-day screen-fast after 4 pm forced me to do all my work, including my deep work, in the morning. At first, it felt oppressive. But by week 3, I found my flow.
My mind knew that at the same time each day, it was time to stop distractions and focus.
Also, I have to state here that I am very compassionate with myself if one day I do not feel like working.
I may aim for consistency with workouts (unless I am unwell), but I will listen to my gut if it needs to take a day off of work without guilt or stress.
I know that it is not about quantity but about quality. Quality of ideas in my writing. Quality of my presence in my coaching.
Even if I were an employee rather than an entrepreneur, I would be more concerned with weekly output than with daily output. I would accept the daily fluctuations of inspiration and motivation as normal.
I used to wear my lack of routine like a badge of honour. Proof that I was free, adventurous, and alive. Proof that I was aligned with my inner compass rather than an external clock.
Turns out, the most rebellious thing I’ve done in years is go to bed at the same time every night.
Structure and routine create freedom.
The freedom of a well-rested, well-nourished, and strong body.
The freedom from decision fatigue, about whether to eat, sleep, or exercise. Your brainpower is freed up for higher-level stuff like your love and your craft.
Your inner compass is clearer when your nervous system is regulated.
If you’re someone who has resisted routine your whole life, I get it. I was you.
Start with one thing. Sleep, meals, movement, connection. Pick the one that feels most doable and give it four weeks.
Your nervous system will thank you.
Take care,
Caterina
Coming Up For Premium Subscribers
10th March: Leaderpath Lab. Our subscriber chat opens for questions, and I’ll answer each one with a voicenote - guaranteed. Ask me anything about living connected to your vision: career, business, routines, or relationships. I love these days.
Q2: You’ll get full access to Quit or Recommit, my course for anyone stuck circling a big life decision and wants to approach it with calm and alignment. It retails for $197 and is included in your subscription.