If you follow my Facebook, TikTok or Instagram, you may have noticed that I’ve been a little quieter over the past month or so and I wanted to share why, because it links closely to something I talk about often in CBT. The importance of routine, habits, and looking after ourselves. Everyone I work with and supervise will have heard me on more than one occasion asking how they are topping up their jug and the truth is, sometimes I forget my own.
For me, the past few weeks have been a period of change.
I started a new job this week and in my previous role, I was wearing many hats, delivering CBT, facilitating sessions, writing policies and documentation, delivering training, marking reflective journals, supervising others, and stepping in wherever needed. It was meaningful work, but over time the demands became difficult to sustain. Particularly when juggling two teens of my own, a marriage, a house, a dog, my private CBT caseload and a social life. Looking after myself became the bottom of the pile. I found myself feeling increasingly burnt out, struggling with sleep, and pretty much running on empty.
I’m incredibly grateful for what I learnt in that role, but it also highlighted something important… Even when we know the theory, it’s easy to drift away from the basics when life becomes overwhelming.
The transition from old job to new has given me an opportunity to pause and reflect, not just on my work and life balance, but on my habits. And if I’m honest, some of them weren’t serving me well.
I had fallen into patterns that many of you will recognise:
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Long hours at my laptop
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Very little movement throughout the day
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Low energy and poor sleep
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Grabbing quick, convenience food and relying on energy drinks
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Little time left for anything outside of work
This is where CBT strategies weren’t just something I shared, they were something I actively needed to apply.
So, over the past four weeks, I have made a conscious decision to reset my routine and rebuild healthier habits, step by step. I wanted to start my new job feeling ready. I didn’t aim for perfection. I aimed for consistency and here’s what that’s looked like:
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Setting a goal of 10,000 steps a day and not beating myself up if I only reached 9,000.
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Preparing meals in advance to support better nutrition
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Returning to the gym and incorporating strength training
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Prioritising sleep and establishing a more consistent routine
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Making time for self-care (even small things, like getting my hair done and painting my nails)
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Reading for pleasure again
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Spending quality time with my husband, children, and friends
The changes haven’t been dramatic overnight but they’ve been steady and as a result, I feel happier, healthier, more energised and more present.
Most importantly, I feel ready to step into my new role as a psychotherapist with a stronger foundation, both personally and professionally.
So, what does this have to do with CBT?
In CBT, we talk about the connection between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. When we’re burnt out or overwhelmed, our routines are often one of the first things to slip, and that can maintain or worsen low mood, stress, and fatigue.
Small, consistent behavioural changes can have a powerful impact:
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Increasing activity can lift mood
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Creating structure can reduce overwhelm
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Prioritising sleep and nutrition supports emotional regulation
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Reconnecting with others strengthens wellbeing
This is known as Behavioural Activation, a core CBT approach that focuses on doing first, even when motivation is low, to help shift how we feel.
A gentle reminder
You don’t need to overhaul your entire life overnight, just start small. One walk, one balanced meal, one earlier night, one moment of pause in your day. Find time to do things that give you a good sense of achievement, closeness to others or enjoyment. These small steps build momentum and over time, they become habits.
This past month has been a reminder to me that we all need to come back to basics sometimes. Not perfectly but intentionally and sometimes, the most important work we do… is on ourselves.
