Days 6–7: It Starts to Feel Natural
By the last two days, things felt… easier.
I no longer dreaded waking up in the morning. I found it to be quite tranquil to wake up before all the noise and commotion occurred. It was an opportunity to have additional time; something so few people get to enjoy.
My concentration became sharper. I was less impulsive, and I had a better understanding of how I was utilizing my time. There were small behaviours that changed as well. I no longer would rush to finish eating, take a stroll without checking my cell phone constantly, or be present in my life instead of always attempting to do three things at once.
And sleep? That improved too. Going to bed earlier made waking up less painful, and I felt more rested overall.
What Actually Changed After a Week
I woke up on Day 7 as a brand new person or everything in my life changed to be ideal. However, I do have some noticeable changes from my experience. I can think better than I have been. Since I’m not constantly looking at social media or being distracted, I now have a lot more room in my brain for other thoughts and I am not as overwhelmed.
I was able to identify my habits more clearly. When I reflect on my day I see how many times I picked up my phone to pass the time, how often I eat my meals very quickly and how often I become sidetracked in a day. A little discipline has made it easier to develop. I’m not saying it was easy but it is easier now because of my experience of sticking with something so assuming.
I learned to slow down.
The routine forced me to be present, even when I didn’t want to be. And in that, I found a kind of calm I didn’t realize I needed.
And most importantly—perfection isn’t the point.
I wasn’t perfect, and the routine wasn’t either. But that didn’t matter as much as I thought it would.
What Didn’t Work
It wasn’t all positive.
The routine felt rigid. There was little space to be spontaneous, social or do nothing. There were days that felt less like living than following the rules.
And not every habit seemed meaningful. Writing in a journal every day, for instance, sometimes came as forced. Same for strict eating rules or aiming to get stuff done every second.
It taught me something else: Just because a routine looks good on the internet does not mean it fits your real life.