Roll into a Better Routine: Using a d20 To Transform My Mornings

How Gamifying My Morning Routine Led Me to Joy and Productivity

When grief and burnout left me feeling lost, I never would have guessed that a d20—yes, a 20-sided die used in tabletop role playing games—would help me find my way back to joy. It probably sounds a little crazy, but hear me out!

The Backstory

In the early days of the pandemic, I developed a morning routine of cuddling with my cat as I sipped my yerba maté and wandered through an endless rabbit hole of games (I'm lookin' at you, Wordle, Worldle, Globle, Duordle, Octordle!).  It was not the most productive time of my life, I admit, but I was OK with that. The world was surreal and my cat was very ill, so I cherished being able to spend my mornings with him on my lap.

After he passed, I was heartbroken and found myself spiraling into hours and hours of game playing/doom scrolling each morning. Morning turned into afternoon and I was still stuck on the sofa. What was once a time of peace and comfort turned into a source of shame and exhaustion.

I was convinced if I got up and walked around the block right after waking up, I’d feel refreshed and energized and could start my day, but the thought of leaving the house first thing was ... rather unappealing. I’d spend the entire evening dreading what I was supposed to do in the morning, only to wind up not doing it anyway.

I realized I needed to trick my brain into motivation. I knew I needed a change, but change is hard, and I didn't want to spend my evenings dreading new routines.

A crazy idea struck me: what if I let a d20 dictate my mornings?

The d20 Challenge: Gamifying My Mornings

That's right, a 20-sided die became my unexpected life coach. I decided to embrace chaos and create an "unpredictable routine." I brainstormed morning activities that might energize me: walking, playing my handpan, petting my other cat, etc. My list only included things that I genuinely thought would be helpful, even if they seemed silly or unproductive, but I made sure they were do-able. (Waking up and doing 10 chin-ups sounds great, but I can't even do 1 at this point, so no sense setting myself up for failure!)

I assigned each activity a number from 1-20, with a few items appearing more than once, since I came up with fewer than 20 activities. The rules: Every morning, I'd roll the die and commit to the corresponding activity for 20 minutes. If after 5 minutes I absolutely hated it, I could stop. I'd do this every morning for a month, or up until it was clear which activities resonated best with me. 

Unexpected Benefits of a Random Routine

My favorite activity turned out to be making chainmaille! You may be thinking, "well duh, Rebeca, you love chainmaille!" But I'd lost a bit of my passion after having turned it into a business for so long and then experiencing burnout. And even though I still liked it, I was not expecting to enjoy it immediately after waking up! I thought I’d be too clumsy, my vision would be too blurry, my hands too stiff. And while those things did happen to some extent, overall, it was such a gentle and peaceful way begin my day. It’s something I’ve continued to this day: roll out of bed, stumble over to my craft table and start weaving.

Here's what else I learned:

• Structure and spontaneity can coexist: I'm not generally a spontaneous person, but this system of structured randomness worked wonders for me. Knowing I had a dedicated block of time for a randomly selected activity eliminated the anxiety of choosing. I wouldn't spend the night before dreading a specific task, because I didn't know what it would be! It makes me wonder if I could trick myself into using this for other things around the house (like finally cleaning those baseboards...)
• Walking wasn't the answer: I was hoping that getting my body moving first thing would be refreshing and energizing, but stepping out into the jarring reality of city streets wasn't the peaceful wake-up call I'd hoped for. Saying hello to dogs being walked was a definite highlight, but the bright sky, car honks, and exhaust fumes felt harsh and unpleasant. I imagine if I had access to a forest path or a quiet park, a morning walk would be much more rejuvenating. 
• Joy came in unexpected places: Some activities I thought I'd love (like doodling) fell flat. Others, like reading science textbooks, were surprisingly enjoyable. Playing the handpan and weaving chainmaille brought me a sense of calm and focus I hadn't felt in weeks. These activities reconnected me with myself after a period of grief and helped me rediscover the things I love.
• Midday "mental resets" worked better: Morning meditations weren't for me. I like to take a few moments for deep breathing and reflection right after waking, while I’m still in bed, but if I then transition to a 20-minute sitting meditation, I just feel like I lose momentum and have a hard time getting starting with my day. I started meditating in the afternoon and found it was perfect for me.
• Prep is power: Having my chainmaille project set up the night before was crucial. In the early morning, I don't quite have the cognitive power to figure out what I want to make! Having everything ready to go removes that decision-making hurdle and allows me to dive straight into a creative flow.

My d20 experiment showed me that sometimes, the best way to find yourself is to let go of control. It helped me rebuild my morning routine in a way that truly serves me and was a good reminder that even in the midst of grief, there's still room for joy and discovery.

This might not be the perfect solution for everyone, but it worked wonders for me, and I hope it sparks some ideas for your own routines!

Do you have an unusual thing you do to make your mornings (or evenings) better? Share your experiences in the comments!