Routines are often impossible for people to enforce upon their weekly lives, yet every single person has tried to implement a small routine, either daily, weekly, or monthly, upon their lives that has fallen through almost immediately. Common examples of this is going to the gym, yoga, reading, revising or even just trying to eat a bit more healthier everyday. But why do even the simplest of routines become impossible to complete? It’s not the answers you’re thinking of, like lack of motivation or laziness, but simply your brain acting to minimise the effort to function‒ to make living as easy as possible. It genuinely takes continuous self-control to get into routines. When we randomly get bursts of productivity, we then feel the need to do everything on our to-do list. Take my advice‒ don’t try to do everything in one day! It’ll make you feel easily burnt out and make small tasks feel insurmountable as the amount of tasks to do will build up. Instead, spread out your to-do list across your week, actually enjoy your tasks and eventually you’ll get into the mindset where you’ll want to have healthy routines.
What is a ‘healthy routine’? To me, a healthy routine is anything that makes you feel good about yourself and productive simultaneously, this spans from spending a few hours in the gym a week to simply taking a few minutes to yourself to breathe. Doing healthy tasks consistently and regularly as well is how it becomes a routine; routines help you feel better about yourself by increasing your overall productivity and helps you stick with long-term goals by normalising healthy behaviours.
So, where’s the best place to start? High-impact small routines are the best way to get yourself into a better lifestyle. They take under five minutes to feel better and think clearer. Examples of these include: making your bed, doing your washing, uncluttering your work space, going for a walk and whatever makes your day a little easier.
Mornings are the most productive part of the day. This happens when you have a healthy sleeping pattern, ensuring you wake up energised. Your body naturally releases higher levels of cortisol and norepinephrine in the morning which increase alertness and mental focus. In contrast, if you do suffer from lack of sleep but have plans in the morning, the easiest way to spike this productivity is to go on a quick morning walk or do a workout in the morning. A strong start to the day is the foundation for a productive day!
Students struggle with sleep patterns because routines are hard to maintain and homework is then left late at night to complete. Therefore, morning energy is lost and days at university are spent yawning. Homework and revision is highly advised to be done during peak productivity times so it isn’t rushed or left incomplete.
Healthy routines don’t just have to be completing work or doing household cleanliness tasks that need to be done. Self-care is one of the most important and fun, healthy routines a person can do. Self-care also boosts your body image, general happiness and satisfaction with yourself, making your before-bed mood perfect for sleep as you aren’t left stressed. Some bedtime routines you can incorporate into your daily routine are yoga, skin-care, taking an ‘everything’ shower/bath, or just relaxing in bed with a book or a journal to unwind.