I think the less outside structure there is the harder it is to create inside structure from scratch? I mean, if you have to go to work, you have to get up at X time in the morning so you end up going to bed at a reasonable time. Outside forces can help with forming some rhythm to daily life. One showers, washes clothes, etc. to go to work or school, whatever. If your lunch "hour" is at 12:30 every day, you eat then.

But if you do not have any hobbies or work, not many friends or relative you see or are not very well, everything gets much harder. My husband and I failed at Christmas last year, now that we are older, he worse than me, I at least bought him/us a set of towels Now in a couple days we're having our 25th wedding anniversary and can't even decide on a place to go out to eat dinner, much less go away for. We still do have some routine to our days, since there are two of us but I'd hate to see what a mess I'd make if I were alone.

I think one literally has to decide one wants routine and want others in one's life and make it happen with getting together with people online, in person, whatever and coming up with desires and expectations. I take classes (so have "homework") and have a project I'm working on with a partner overseas so there's a certain amount of structure there and I belong to a personal care site so have other online friends paying attention to my health, what I eat, exercise routines, etc.