In life, we do things according to a schedule, and whether we have children to look after or chores to do, it’s so easy to feel overwhelmed. If you are experiencing stress in your life, it’s crucial to remember that routine is beneficial. By establishing a routine, it helps us take care of risks and can allow us to focus on our physical and mental health. With regards to our health, routines are so important, and here is why.
Routines Promote Healthier Habits
Everybody feels like they have too much to do and not enough time to do it. And routines can help to promote healthy lifestyle habits. For example, packing your lunch the night before you go to work can help you to eat a balanced diet, using a moisturiser for dry skin as part of a nightly skincare regime will ensure you have more radiant looking skin, and going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time will promote a more consistent sleep schedule. When we start to establish healthy routines, it allows us to make habits. It takes roughly 21 days to form a new habit, which is why it’s important to spend time creating and fostering healthy habits.
Routines Can Fight Burnout
Everybody has witnessed their stress levels increase over the last 18 months and we’re naturally inclined to create routines to beat stress. When we incorporate cumulative amounts of stress into our lives, this will lead to mental and emotional exhaustion, and cause dips in productivity. When we incorporate routines into our lives, it is the one great way to fight burnout. Creating a routine is not necessarily about having everything set in stone. When it comes to beating burnout, you can do a few simple things, including:
- Not hitting the snooze button.
- Taking time to be on your own.
- Stopping work at the same time every single day.
- Having a solid morning routine.
The latter is particularly important because the right morning routine will set you up for the day. If you wake up and you find yourself immediately wired for stress, this will set you up for a day off stress. A solid morning routine is about allowing you to gradually ease into the day. It also will help you to plan the day ahead. Some people feel they benefit more from getting up earlier because it gives them a head start and a sense of achievement.
Routines Can Help With Anxieties
Everybody will experience their fair share of stresses and anxieties, and routines are pivotal to coping with anxiety because it allows our bodies to adjust, and know what we can expect. We can create physical and mental routines that allow our mind and body to acclimatize to the unknown. Part of the reason we all feel stressed is because we do not know what is around the corner. Having a routine, therefore, allows you a sense of control over your life. When we are constantly exposing ourselves to stresses and unknown situations, we can find ourselves on edge. The great thing about routines in this respect is that it allows us to do something every single day that can help us deal with these anxieties. For example, writing in a journal is a wonderful way to get our thoughts onto paper, and have it as part of a regular schedule. This is especially important if we are experiencing many forms of anxiety. Having what they call a “brain dump” allows us to get all of our thoughts out of our heads, and can prepare us for a good night’s sleep, or a better day.
What Does A Healthy Routine Look Like?
This is something only you can answer. However, it is important to point out that you should not make huge changes to your life right away. Changing everything in your daily routine will not lead to effective long-term results. Instead, pick a handful of small things to focus on every week. For example, staying away from social media or practising gratitude. If you are looking to reduce stress and anxiety, a healthy routine can make a significant difference to your physical and mental health. But the most important thing to remember is that it will take time to turn these into a habit. It can take at least three weeks for it to fully ingrain itself in your mind and body. During those first few weeks, remember that these things will take time, but they will have a massive benefit, not just on your health, but on your life.
*collaborative post