Good morning! Ok, what do I have to do today? What does my schedule look like? Do I have time to shower and do my hair? Depending on where I am going will determine what I need to wear. Do I have time to make coffee, or am I swinging by Dunkin on my way to wherever I am going? I don’t even think about breakfast until I am already wherever I need to be, and my stomach is growling at me. What bag do I need to take? WHERE IS MY CHARGER?! This is a terrible way for someone like me to wake up and begin their day. I embrace routine. However, as a counselor in training, my days are anything but routine.
In my previous career, I worked the same hours, Monday through Friday. My nights and weekends were free for me to do as I pleased. After work, I would typically take my dogs to the trail or go to the gym. A few days a week I would meet a friend for dinner or go to a local event. I had a loose routine. It just sort of fell into place and I truly did not have to put much thought into it.
Shortly after starting internship, I realized after a few days of where, what, who, I needed to get serious about my schedule. Every day I go to a different location, sometimes two locations within a day. Some days I go to work, and my shift times vary. Other days I go to my internship site, but I have hours in between clients. Some days I go to my internship site and then to class. Other days I have supervision at my internship site and then class 6 hours later. It is truly chaotic at times. Waking up in the morning and having to make so many decisions added unnecessary stress to a day that would already be filled with learning to adapt and diving deep into new experiences. Not planning for the day ahead caused anxiety at the beginning of my day and left me exhausted at the end of my day. So, I got serious.
First, I tried to swing to the other end of the pendulum. I bought a daily planner. The best planner. A $30 planner from Amazon. This planner had days scheduled by the hour. Guess what? That lasted about a week. I couldn’t go from not really having a schedule to scheduling every hour of my existence. That planner now sits on the shelf waiting to meet its death when I eventually toss it into the garbage.
What did work for me though, was using a notes app on my phone. Now, when I am done for the day and relaxing on the couch before going to bed, I plan for the day ahead of me. I make all the decisions I need to make for tomorrow the night before. That way, when I open my phone in the morning, I just follow the schedule I set for myself. This has not only eased my anxiety but has helped me to be much more productive with my time. After I set my schedule, I choose what I am going to wear, I prep whatever bag I am taking with me, and I peek into the fridge to plan what I’ll have for breakfast the next morning. Sometimes it’s a fruit bowl. Sometimes it’s cold pizza (don’t judge me). I knew I needed a routine, but I never had to put much effort into having one. When you have multiple responsibilities and obligations, routine does not happen on its own, you must set time aside to create one.
If you would like to speak to a professional counselor or psychologist about this and are in the Chicago area, please feel free to contact Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc. at 708-633-8000. We are located at 6819 West 167th Street in Tinley Park, Illinois 60477.
Hillary R.,
Masters Level Intern, 2024
CounselingMatters.live 
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