The trouble with consistency in stressful times.
My last blog was on 10/15/24, and my willingness to keep it going has crashed hard, for obvious reasons. So much has been going on since then!
So here is a soft launch back at it.
Consistency is hard even in the best of times. But lately? It feels nearly impossible. Between the personal chaos of everyday life, the nonstop noise of US politics, and the weight of global conflict, staying on track with routines or goals can feel like trying to build a sandcastle during a hurricane.
I hear it all the time, people blaming themselves for being unable to keep up. “Why can’t I stick to my morning routine anymore?” “I used to work out regularly, but now I can’t even get out of bed on time.” “I planned to journal every night, and now I can’t remember the last time I did.” And underneath it all is this quiet voice whispering, What’s wrong with me?
Let me say it plainly: nothing is wrong with you. Your nervous system knows you’re living through an intensely stressful time. It doesn’t matter if the stress is coming from your own life—like parenting, relationship struggles, financial anxiety—or from watching something that leaves you speechless, or seeing another breaking news alert about violence, injustice, or climate disaster. Stress stacks. Our brains and bodies weren’t built to carry this much, this often, and still function at full capacity.
Consistency, as we often imagine it, perfect, daily, no-matter-what consistency, is not only unrealistic right now, it can be harmful to expect of ourselves. It makes us feel like we’re failing when we’re actually doing the best we can.
So if you’ve dropped the ball lately, I want to tell you something radical: it’s okay. You don’t need to “get back on track” perfectly. What if the new version of consistency was just checking in with yourself and asking, What do I have the energy for today? And if the answer is “nothing,” that’s valid too.
Instead of rigid routines, try soft rhythms. Maybe today you go for a short walk. Maybe tomorrow you just breathe deeply while waiting for the coffee to brew. Maybe you don’t make it to your journal, but you send a kind text to a friend. That counts. It all counts.
The world is heavy right now. If all you can do is take care of yourself and show up in small ways, that is enough. Truly. You are not lazy or broken. You are human. And sometimes, doing what you can is the bravest, most consistent thing of all.
Hang in there. You're not alone.
