Cooking with Karina: Re-Branding Routine

Karina Arnold makes this Taco Stew to prepare for a busy week. (Photo: Karina Arnold) 

Karina Arnold is a junior at the University of Oklahoma who’s passionate about healthy cooking. She provides creative, healthy recipes and tips on clean eating.

Spontaneity is in and routine is out. Especially with Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, others’ exciting lives, adventures or happenings are shoved in your face. I constantly compare my life to friends’ amazing travels, spontaneous road trips and crazy food pictures. I sometimes feel lame eating a grilled cheese and reading a book while scrolling through a social media feed full of scenic beach pictures and delectable, exotic dishes. However, especially after living abroad with no routine, I learned that consistently living an unplanned, off-handed lifestyle can get taxing, on the body and mind.

It is important to occasionally “break from the rat race” and do something out of your comfort zone; however, routine’s complacency and predictability should not be villainized. When I develop a routine, I experience physical, psychological and monetary benefits. With routine, my body develops a natural rhythm of sleep and activity. I find myself falling asleep faster and my stomach digesting foods easier when I eat, sleep and work to my body’s beat. Furthermore, I feel less stressed. I know what I need to prepare or prioritize in order to meet deadlines or make free time to spend with friends and family.

With routine, I experience those “heart dropping” moments or mini freak-outs less. When I operate in a less stressed way, my work gets complete and well done. The key to establishing a successful routine is having a planner. For me, a physical planner where I write everything down helps me remember my schedule and plan. Furthermore, taking a glance at the week ahead every Sunday helps prevent me from missing an appointment, office hours or accidently bailing on a friend.

In addition, especially for a broke college kid, routine saves money. Knowing what I have for the week helps me budget money. If I have a lot of dinners with friends planned or lunches with on-campus clubs, I won’t spend as much on groceries. When I know I will not have much time in my apartment to cook, I food prep meals for on-the-go so I do not have to buy each meal. A family favorite is this Taco Stew, which you can make as much or as little as you need. With this recipe, you can experiment with size or try different flavors like curry or basil to spruce up the mix.

Not convinced in the perks of routine? Northwestern Medicine reports that many people who do not have routine suffer from poor diets due to high stress levels (que sugar cravings), lack of sleep (leading to late-night snacking and caffeine over-load) and the easy accessibility of junk food (fast food restaurants). Furthermore, maintaining a routine boosts self-confidence due to better exercise, diet and ability to accomplish tasks while also inspiring others to do the same.

Like most practices, routine is beneficial in moderation. Developing a groove can turn into a rut. For me, I get writer’s block or find myself dreading going on a run. Here is where spontaneity and adventure benefit. Some weekends, I step away from the paper I’m writing to try a new coffee shop with a friend. When I lack motivation to run, I grab a bike and pack a picnic. Recently, I was getting bored of my University, so I left to Argentina (that’s an extreme example). Like candy, ice cream and cookies, routine is great in moderation and has numerous benefits. What are some tricks you do to maintain a successful routine? Comment below!