When it comes to setting a healthy routine, for a lot of people they think this means setting a strict routine to follow, in order to stay on track. There may be benefits to this strict routine, some people feel energised when keeping busy. But being too inflexible can actually be a bad thing. If you are timing your day to the minute, then anything that slows you down can become stressful. High levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) can negatively affect sleep, weight and even memory.
There are ways to follow a precise routine without getting stuck in a rut. For example, if you are someone who goes to the gym every Monday and Wednesday, but your friends are only free on Monday evening for a long overdue catch up, it is ok for you to swap your gym day and still make it twice a week.
Find Balance
Positive wellbeing is all about balance, making sure your schedule benefits your physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Healthy activities are even better for you when they are part of a routine, for e.g., regular exercise has been shown to improve your mood and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.
Active Decisions
If you’re worried that your routine is controlling you, sit down and look at everything you do regularly. Ask yourself: does it still make you happy? Could this time be better spent improving your wellbeing? For example, if you have a busy work life and a family to care for, making compromises will be inevitable. But making active choices about the free time you do have will be a good first step towards taking control of your life.
Physical Wellbeing
If you aren’t happy with your physical wellbeing, creating a routine could really improve that, but it’s much more than just buying a gym membership. Simply building a regular food shop slot, following a shopping list and creating a regular slot for exercise can do wonders for your fitness and nutrition. Our bodies react positively to routine. If you always go to bed at the same time, you’re more likely to wake up feeling alert. Similarly having regular mealtimes helps your digestive system prepare for food.
There’s no rush
Schedule in some thinking time to reduce anxiety and stress. This is time you can use to think through your worries, rather than ignoring them, and letting them build up. Efficiency isn’t everything. Slowing down a little can be good for your health. Rather than squeezing errands and admin into your lunch break, going for a walk or making a hot drink might reduce your stress. This can help you prioritise the important stuff and stop you feeling overwhelmed. Another example are the house chores, they don’t have to be daunting. Some people like to set aside a whole morning or afternoon to clean and tidy the home, but there are other ways. Assigning one room in your home to a particular day of the week can spread the burden, and free up time for other things.
Free up your memory
Assign a place where you always keep important things. If you always hang your keys on a hook by the door, you’ll rarely have to search for them in a morning panic. If you have tasks to complete tomorrow, or next week, make a to-do list so you’re not holding them all in your mind.
Understandable
Falling off the routine wagon might feel like a failure, but this is where our most important advice comes in, don’t be too hard on yourself. According to research, people who torture themselves for a minor slip-up are more likely to freak out and give up completely than those who let themselves off. There are lots of ways to respond…
Forget and move on. Imagine you’ve got two evenings a week scheduled for going to the gym. If you miss a day, it might be enough just to draw a line under things and get back into your routine next week.
Give yourself a quick boost. Noticing your mistake might get you itching to make up for it. If that’s the case, then breaking routine again to get back on track might be beneficial. Just be sure not to snowball and lose your routine altogether.
Work out why and fix it. Is your routine not varied enough? Maybe you’re not giving yourself enough breaks? Or perhaps you’ve just got too much on? Consider changing your routine so you’re less likely to slip up again.
Buy a planner – Start your day off right – Do things your way