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The Health And Happiness Benefits Of Having A Routine

julie montagu happiness routine

The concept of having structured routines has arguably never been so important!

If — like much of the world — you are now spending the majority of your time inside your home, then you may be finding daily life challenging. Your usual routine will likely have been thrown into disarray, and this can impact your sense of wellbeing.

Life as you know it may have temporarily changed, but that doesn’t mean that your health and happiness has to suffer!

Today I am going to explore some of the fantastic benefits to having set routines, and offer some simple tips on places to start.

Having A Routine

You might think that having a routine sounds restrictive and boring, but it can actually be really fun and of great use to you.

Creating a routine for yourself — and sticking to it — can help you to feel accomplished each and every day. This is because you will know for sure that you have engaged in activities that will benefit your physical and mental health.

yoga teacher pose

Stress Levels

When you have a plan in place for each day then your stress levels are likely to be much lower. This is because you know there are things to get done, and you have an idea of how and when you are going to do these things.

If you don’t have a plan, then you may experience anxiety about the things that you have to organise and complete.

As your stress levels decrease, you will find it much easier to relax and take enjoyment from the simple things. You may also find it easier to communicate and interact with others. If you are sharing space with several people at the moment, then this can be a big help.

Tackling the small problems in your life can help to protect you against the bigger problems that stress presents over time. As I’m sure you have heard me discuss before, persistent stress can quickly become chronic stress. This can wreak havoc on your health and happiness.

Click for more advice on tackling your stress levels!

Sleep Cycle

If you have a tendency to stay up late worrying about the past, present, and future, then you are not alone in this! Worrying is one of the leading reasons that we miss out on sleep, and this can become a serious problem if it persists over time.

bedroom sleep cycle

There are also of course other reasons why we might not get an adequate amount of sleep each night. You might be disturbed by a noisy environment in the night, or you may often just find it difficult to fall asleep.

Putting a sleep routine in place can help you to overcome a number of problems related to the quality of rest you enjoy. For example, having a set bedtime will mean you avoid staying up late, which can of course cause you to find it harder to get out of bed in the morning.

Be sure to remove all distractions from your bedroom at least 30 minutes before you plan on going to sleep. This includes turning the television off, putting the laptop away, and putting your phone down.

When you continue to use your digital devices in bed, then you are stimulating your brain. This can make it much harder to fall asleep as your mind is still consuming information. Depending on what you are reading or watching, this could lead to new anxieties. This is the last thing you need at bedtime!

Healthy Eating

One of the most notable benefits of having a good routine is that you become better able to stick to a healthy diet.

Your routine can include set days for going food shopping, and you can also have a meal plan in place. Meal plans can help you to vary your food throughout the week, while also being sure that you are getting enough of the good stuff in.

healthy eating meal plan

If there are already healthy meals that you know you love, then you can add these things into your meal plan. It’s also a good idea to keep trying new things, and experimenting with foods that you haven’t tried before. Remember, leave out the processed and packaged foods, and opt for whole foods as much as possible.

Click here for more advice on healthy eating and plant-based foods!

Exercise

Exercise is always going to be more effective when you have a plan in place and are able to keep track of your progress.

Creating a routine when it comes to exercise is an amazing way to motivate yourself. Doing so helps you to hold yourself accountable to your new plan. There’s no need to go too hard, too soon — and even the smallest steps count when you’re trying something new!

The first thing to do is to decide what kind of physical activities you are going to engage in. You can then decide how often you are going to do each one.

For example, you may decide that you want to go running twice a week and do a home workout twice a week. You can choose which days you will do each activity and then create a plan for what these workouts will entail. Stick to your new routine every week and it will soon become a normal part of your life!

Top Tip: Exercising first thing in the morning (before breakfast!) has been shown to help boost energy levels and promote fat loss. Getting outside for some cardio or an aerobic workout at home are two great choices.

Time

When you have a daily routine then you are going to feel much more in control of your time. This can help you to make better use of each day, and to complete the things that you wish to accomplish.

time routine importance health

When you are in control of your own time, then you can begin to give more prominence to the things that you enjoy doing. This can help you to feel calmer and more satisfied with your life on a day to day level.

A good way to accomplish this is to have a rough idea of how you will spend each day. Make a small list of tasks for each day, and be sure to include things that you enjoy, as well as things that you must do.

Get Inspired

If you are looking for additional ways to make positive changes in your own life, then my weekly newsletter can help!

Click to sign up to my Get Inspired Newsletter and receive a weekly dose of inspiration and motivation to your inbox!

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