Chris Hadfield: Daily Routine

Space taught Chris Hadfield that routine isn’t optional—it’s survival, focus, and progress, whether you're on the ISS or in lockdown.

When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, retired astronaut and former Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot, Chris Hadfield, had some well-timed advice for the rest of us in lockdown. After all, he was an authority on isolation; he had previously flown two Space Shuttle missions and served as commander of the International Space Station.

“I’ve spent a little time self-isolating on board a spaceship,” he shared on his personal YouTube channel. “It’s an extremely dangerous environment up on board the space station and yet we find a way to thrive and be productive that far away from our normal lives.”

“Once you understand the risk and your mission, your sense of purpose and your obligations, then take action, start doing things,” he said. “They don’t have the be things that you always did before. Take care of family, start a new project, learn to play guitar, study another language, read a book, write, create. It’s a chance to do something different that you’ve maybe not done before and then, repeat.”