I ended up taking the longer path through the park this morning because the air felt cooler than usual, and it actually helped me wake up before the day started racing.
I know you asked whether I ever found a routine that sticks, and the honest answer is only when I stop trying to make it perfect.
If I leave myself too many rules, I ignore all of them, so I’ve been keeping things very simple and allowing room for distraction without treating it like failure.
Yesterday I wrote down three things I wanted to finish, and even though I only completed two, the whole day still felt calmer.
I also moved my notebook away from my desk lamp because I realized I was always stacking random papers on top of it.
That tiny change made the evening feel less cluttered, which is ridiculous but apparently effective.
I think the trick is making good habits easier to notice than bad ones.

I finally circled back to your question about whether the plants survived the week by the window, and surprisingly they look better now than when I first brought them home.
I think I was overwatering them without realizing it, which is very on brand for me because I always assume more attention is helpful.
Once I backed off and left them alone for a couple of days, the leaves stopped drooping and the whole shelf looked brighter.
I also spent part of the afternoon reorganizing that corner of the room, and it ended up being less about cleaning and more about making the space easier to use.
Now the chair faces the lamp properly, the books are stacked where I can actually reach them, and I feel weirdly pleased every time I walk by.
It's funny how a few small adjustments can make everything calmer without needing some dramatic reset.
I should have done it earlier, but at least it's sorted now.