You can learn how creating daily routines can help you reach your wellness goals and keeps you organized even if you aren’t motivated. Creating daily routines can make your life less stressful, and almost seem easier. Being ambitious and motivated to accomplish goals is easy, but the structure and work required to achieve goals are where the rubber meets the road.
When it comes to following through with the actions required to reach my wellness goals, I sometimes turn into a rebellious teenager. I have become more disciplined over the years, but that inner child who wants to do what she wants to do still lives here.
The truth is, just like children, we adults thrive on structure and routine too. Creating daily routines gives you a feeling of security and predictability in a daily routine even for us grown-ups.
The difference now as a full time working adult, is that creating daily routines is something I do to give me more control of my time and ultimately in my life. Having more control at the beginning and end of your day can help you reach your wellness goals and beyond. And, if I can do it, so can you!
I found that creating daily routines makes all my goals feel within reach. Adding small habits that are not only simple but easy to do gives me a feeling of accomplishment. Following through with completing these small tasks gives me the space to do other things I want to do.
Creating daily routines allows me free time to be creative and spontaneous. Getting to do what I want to do with my free time feels like a reward because following my daily routines allows me more time to enjoy life. Who doesn’t like to feel rewarded?
As I said earlier, I’m not a naturally motivated person as it pertains to adding structure to my life. I work full time as a nurse, so my job is highly structured, as well as physically and mentally demanding. What has helped me in creating daily routines was figuring out my priorities.
I’m sure you agree, life outside of work can be unpredictable. There is so much in life that we don’t have control over. If you are like me, having control over what directly affects your time is pretty important. In fact, I would say having as much control over my time is my number one priority.
Creating daily routines gives you more control over your time, and basically puts you in the driver’s seat. You want to be in control of every part of your life to the extent that you can be, am I right? When you are in control of your actions, the face you present to the world says, “I have discipline and confidence in myself”.
Since all you can control in this world is yourself, why not completely take the reigns of your life by controlling your time? Yes, things happen out of the blue, that’s life. However, in my humble opinion when you get into creating daily routines, life tends to happen for you more often instead of to you.
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How Creating Daily Routines Makes You Feel Good
Watching Netflix all day would be great, and there’s nothing wrong with watching television if being entertained is a priority for you. However, when you choose to allow things to prevent you from taking action toward your priorities, you send a message that will likely spawn some negative thoughts toward yourself.
The emotions that follow (guilt, unworthiness for example) can create a downward spiral of actions that will take you further away from the results you want. This is just not cool. You are better than that!
Eliminate Decision Fatigue
By creating a daily routine list of tasks to complete that you know will make your days flow with minimal stress, you make life a little more predictable. This is actually a good thing when you want to eliminate the need to make decisions all the time.
If I’m faced with having to always make decisions about even the littlest things, I feel a tiny jolt of uneasiness creep in. It’s way better for our bodies if we’re aren’t needlessly raising those stress hormone levels on a regular basis.
When creating daily routines, try not to overcomplicate it. Think about minimum baseline tasks you can complete to make your days flow seamlessly.
Being Prepared Creates More Time
How often have you said things like, “I don’t have time to, XYZ”. Whether it’s exercising, cooking, or pampering yourself, you know you’ve said this out loud a million times. While it is true that we all have the same 24 hours in a day, creating daily routines puts space in your day that can make it feel like you’ve given yourself more time.
Even 15 minutes saved is huge. Are you wondering how much of a difference 15 minutes can make in your day?
Here’s what you can accomplish in 15 minutes:
- Walk a mile on the treadmill
- Do a stretching routine before bed
- Read a chapter in a book
- Prepare your clothes for the next day
- Pack your lunch for work the next day
- Put a load of laundry in the washing machine
- Straighten up a messy room
This list is definitely not exhaustive. For me, creating daily routines keeps my priorities in order. I’m not even a pro at it yet, but I do feel in control and even happier when I follow a simple routine. There’s no nagging feeling that I should be doing something else.
How Do You Create A Daily Routine?
When I thought of creating daily routines for myself, I wanted to have my workdays figured out first because those are the days I have less time. The first thing to do when creating daily routines is to think about your schedule for the week on your weekends.
“The secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda.”~ John C. Maxwell
I work 12 hour days, but my workdays vary. Creating a small list of tasks that I can do every morning and evening takes a little weight off my shoulders. It may not seem like a big deal, but I love having less to think about everyday.
Creating an evening routine is the best place to start if you want to be in control of your day. I have listed an example of what my evening routine looks like below.The first two tasks don’t apply if I’ve had a day off from work.
My evening routine after work consists of:
- Changing out of my scrubs
- Emptying my lunch bag of food containers, and washing said food containers
- Clearing my kitchen sink of any other dirty dishes
- Packing my lunch bag with snacks or drinks that don’t need refrigeration
- Making a cup of my current favorite decaf green tea blend
- Setting the coffee pot to brew for the next morning
- Laying out scrubs for the next day (so I don’t have to go in and out of drawers)
- Washing my face and brushing my teeth
These actions are super basic and take no time at all! The mornings are even simpler.
My morning routine consists of:
- Getting up right away when the alarm goes off
- Thanking God that I have another day to live
- Getting in the shower, getting dressed, doing my hair
- Drinking a glass of water
- Making a cup of black coffee (while the coffee brews, I pack my work bag and brush my teeth)
- Drinking my coffee while chatting with my husband
- Making a breakfast smoothie
Altogether these may seem like a lot of things to do, but these tasks only take about 20-30 minutes (total) to complete. I can go to bed, read, or journal for 10 minutes and fall asleep without any nagging voice telling me “you shoulda, coulda, woulda”. Waking up to go to work in the isn’t nearly as dreadful because I don’t feel rushed.
I can sit down and get my head on straight before my workday starts because I’ve created time for myself. We’ve all had those mornings when you’ve rushed out the door only to realize you forgot something but your too far from home to go back and get it. Or, how about when you don’t remember if you left something plugged in?
Creating daily routines eliminates all kinds of stress, worry, and anxiety that can feel like a dark cloud is following you around all day. I cannot emphasize enough, the idea is to start small and not make your daily routine complicated.
What Creating Daily Routines Can Really Do For You
Creating daily routines doesn’t just add structure, discipline and time to your day. It gives you time to actually see where you can be more productive. You may have a hobby or creative outlet that you’ve wanted to pursue.
If you’re rushing through your days feeling like all you do is go to work, come home, watch TV and go to bed, you aren’t giving yourself space to think or grow. A full-time job or career doesn’t fill that need, in my opinion. You are more than your full-time job or chosen profession.
First things first, creating daily routines can help you figure out your priorities. Next, take a weekend and look at your week ahead. Then, without complicating your life, decide on a few minimum baseline tasks to complete each morning and evening that will make your days flow smoothly.
Whatever you do, don’t worry about being perfect when creating your daily routines. If some task isn’t working, you can tweak your routines however you see fit. Creating daily routines isn’t about trying to do more, or have it all.
I like to think of it as creating more time so you can possibly become more.
As a multi-dimensional human being, you need time to explore and discover what makes you happy on a level you haven’t given yourself a chance to think about. Once you start creating daily routines, you’ll soon see and experience how you can free up your time.
All you have to do after you have a daily routine that works for you is rinse and repeat.😉
How would having an extra 15 minutes on each end of your day make you feel? Do you think you could benefit from creating daily routines?
I want to hear from you in the comments!
Sources:
https://zapier.com/blog/daily-routines/
https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/health-benefits-of-having-a-routine
