Some of us think of the word "routine" as dullness and boredom. However, you can see your daily routine in a whole different light when you think about how it can affect your physical and mental health.
Research shows that people who don't have a routine suffer from a number of issues, including stress, poor sleep, poor nutrition, poor physical and mental health, and ineffective use of time.
In this article, we'll introduce you to some of the key benefits health experts see in having a routine. Are you ready? If so, read on and you'll find that routines are anything but mundane and boring.
Routines help you start your day off right.
We all know how important it's to start our day off right. Routines help us know when we should leave the house or start work.
And instead of jumping from one task to the next and being confused and overwhelmed by all the things we're supposed to juggle each day, we have a clear idea of our priorities.
This will help us be more productive during the day and waste less physical and mental energy.
Routines help you develop healthy habits.
Nowadays, many people have busy schedules. This means they struggle to develop healthy habits that could improve their personal and professional lives.
This is where daily plans come into play. Simple changes like drinking more water, packing your lunch before you leave for work, or exercising for 15 minutes before you head out or turn on your laptop to start work can go a long way for the health of your body and mind.
Routines help you sleep better.
Getting enough sleep can make a big difference in our quality of life. You'll benefit greatly from putting away your electronic devices an hour before bed, brushing your teeth, picking up a light read, meditating for a few hours, and avoiding stressful evening conversations.
Good sleep hygiene will help you wake up refreshed and ready for a productive day.
Routines help you make better decisions.
When you've a routine, you can save your focus, energy, time, and mind power for important decisions you need to make throughout the day, such as accepting or rejecting a job offer or making a big purchase.
Routines free you from everything that's floating around in your head and get you in the right headspace.
Routines help you make the most of your time.
When you create routines around your to-do list, you're basically creating blocks of time for each part of your day. This helps you hold yourself accountable for your time. And that's important because we only have 24 hours in a day.
Routines help us understand how we want to spend our time and make adjustments as needed.
Routines help you avoid procrastination.
Many of us tend to procrastinate, but a daily routine can keep us from putting off things we know we should be doing every day. This means more work gets done each day and you feel less overwhelmed the next day.
Routines help you achieve your goals.
You have probably heard the famous quote, "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail." Routines help you plan your days efficiently so you have enough time and focus to take concrete steps to achieve your goals.
Routines help you do more of what you love.
Because routines help you waste less time and energy, you'll have more time for activities you really enjoy. This could be walking your dog, taking a yoga class, reading your favorite book, tending to your garden, or watching those movies you have always wanted to see but never found the time.
Routines help you spend quality time with your loved ones.
In today's fast-paced world, it seems like we never have enough time for our loved ones, especially when the whole family's schedule is busy.
A healthy routine will help you get things done on time so you can spend more time with your family and other loved ones during the week.
Routines help you stay calm.
How do you feel when you go to your favorite restaurant and the owner and bartenders already know your order? We bet it feels like home. How about when you put on a sweatshirt you have had for a decade? Doesn't it make you feel comfortable right away? Routines can make you feel the same way.
Familiarity is comforting. That's why a daily routine can have a calming effect, making you feel relaxed and prepared for whatever the world throws at you. Some people think that a routine can make you feel stuck.
However, if you do it right, routines not only keep your life from feeling like a hamster wheel, but they also give you more time to step out of your comfort zone and try new things.
Routines help you avoid burnout.
Stress and anxiety are two major causes of burnout, which can negatively impact your physical and mental well-being and leave you feeling constantly exhausted. This, in turn, leads to lower productivity and strained personal and professional relationships. Burnout can cause serious mental health issues if left untreated.
A routine, especially one that includes exercise, regular breaks throughout the day, gratitude, meditation, and time for yourself, can help you avoid burnout.
Routines help you avoid or recover from depression.
When we feel down, we tend to stay away from people and withdraw from activities that bring us joy. This often makes us feel even more depressed. That's why one of the first steps therapists recommend to treat depression is to reestablish basic habits and routines.
Routines that include a healthy diet and a few minutes of exercise each day are especially helpful for those who want to avoid or recover from depression.
Routines help you stay physically fit.
Many of us don't have enough time to go to the gym during the week. A daily routine that includes regular exercise can help us stay fit. Remember, it's the accumulation of small steps that will bring big results over time. So don't take it lightly to incorporate exercise into your daily routine.
How to create a healthy routine
It's not easy to change habits. However, if you create a new routine and stick with it for at least three weeks, chances are you'll be able to keep it up for a long time.
Be careful not to overdo it when you make new plans. Start by introducing new healthy habits and cutting out bad ones, such as eating healthier, spending half an hour less on social media each day, or spending more time with family.
Don't make radical changes that would turn your current lifestyle upside down. Your routine should only help create a better version of your lifestyle.
Also, you don't have to be a perfectionist when it comes to sticking to a new routine. It's not easy to change your daily life, and you may forget to do certain things you have committed to every now and then.
Don't be too hard on yourself on those days. Just do your best to do better the next day.
Where to start
Now that you know the many health benefits of a routine, you may want to consider a new daily schedule.
If that's the case, sit down with a piece of paper and write down everything you do each day of the week. Then see what you can reduce or eliminate. You should also write down the activities that you can do every day at a set time.
Once you have your routine, give yourself a little time to get used to it. It'll soon feel like second nature.
If you notice after a month or so that something isn't working, don't hesitate to change it. And even if everything is going well, you should change your routine every now and then to keep things fresh.
The beauty of routines is that once you have them in place, you can create new routines based on the same foundation with just a few tweaks.
Keep an eye on our blog for more on routines and how to stick to them.
