I know some people around me, who love to have a solid daily routine, while many just can not handle even the thought of a proper schedule. When we were young, most of us had a routine to follow. Most of us had to wake up at a certain time, go to bed at a certain time, do our homework after school, play with friends at a specific time, etc. But what about our current routine? I used to have a very boring routine once, but after some years, I found and learned one should have a daily routine which motivates you, gives you freedom, happiness and productivity. Still many of you might not follow a daily routine. We don’t have any idea how we are supposed to plan our daily routine. And hence we feel like we’re stressed or anxious or failing to meet our goals. First of all, let’s see, what’s a routine.

What is a Routine?

A routine is the usual series of things that you do at a particular time. A routine is also the practice of regularly doing things in a fixed order. You feel more organized and productive when you’ve a daily routine, which will help you feel more proactive and in control in stressful situations. But when people don’t have a routine or structure to their day it causes stress and anxiety and leads to lack of concentration and focus.

A good place to start with creating a new routine is to set wake-up and bedtimes, as well as meal and activity times.Rachel Goldman

Even if you don’t thrive on a strict routine, having a routine can be always helpful in times of uncertainty and stress. Have you ever thought, how having good habits or a proper routine help you to be successful? Successful people are known to have a daily routine. From Benjamin Franklin to Elon Musk, name any successful person, they follow their routine strictly. Routines offer a way to promote health and wellness through structure and organization. Read this article and you can find how this daily routine helps us improve our health.

Benefits of Having a Routine

Research has proven that routines can play an important role in mental health. Check out some important benefits for which you should follow a daily routine.

Having a routine can help you,

• Lower stress levels
• Feel more productive
• Organize your time during the day
• Achieve work-life balance
• Inculcate good habits
• Break bad habits
• Build self-confidence
• Achieve our goals

It’s perfectly okay if you want to follow your routine on weekdays and not on weekends, or if you have a different routine on weekends. It’s okay to set aside certain times to do nothing. The point here is that you’re mindful about your choices.

Getting extra tasks out of the way can also help you find more time for healthy habits like meditation, exercise, reading and leave you more time to enjoy your hobbies. After all, having a healthy routine is one of the keys to success and happiness.

Examples of Daily Routine

You know what makes successful people less stressed and more productive? They know their priorities better than anything else. Upon waking up, these successful CEOs, leaders, startup founders, don’t immediately check their phones or emails or instagram. Let’s check what these successful entrepreneurs do upon waking up in the morning.

• In an interview for The Economic Club of Washington D.C., Bezos revealed a routine that enabled him to start his day in a slow and calm fashion. Instead of rushing to get his work tasks/meetings done early in the morning, he won’t schedule his meetings before 10 AM.

  "So I like to putter in the morning. I get up early. I go to bed early, I get up early. I like to putter in the morning, so I like to read the newspaper, I like to have coffee, I like to have breakfast with my kids before they go to school, so I have my kind of puttering time is very important to me."
  - JEFF BEZOS AT THE ECONOMIC CLUB OF WASHINGTON

• Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, has two morning rituals - exercise and reflection. Waking up after his 8 hours of sleep, the first thing Nadella does is ask himself what he’s thankful for. “It gives you the ability to get up in the morning and orient yourself for the day,” he said on LinkedIn’s Hello Monday podcast.

  Then he does his exercise. “For me, the daily ritual is just a half-hour of hitting the gym every day. It doesn’t matter where I am, what time zone, how late I got in, I get up and get to the gym. It’s just 30 minutes of running, and it just makes a huge difference.”

What could be YOUR Daily Routine?

So, let’s talk about some of the things you want to add to your routine. What’s the ideal daily routine? It simply depends on you. It can have different forms and may be performed at different times. Everyone’s ideal routine will be different, so the suggestions on this list are meant to be starting points and not a step-by-step guide.

Maintaining healthy sleep cycle

Generally people should aim for at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Though best times to sleep and wake up varies among individuals. In general, going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day can help support a healthy sleep pattern which can improve all sorts of issues from your metabolism power to your obesity, from blood sugar to your workouts.

Making your own bed

You won’t believe it but there are some surprising benefits to making your bed each day which includes, it starts your day off right, helps you clean your space, helps you adopt better daily habits which leads to better productivity and lower stress levels. So, whether you like it or not, it’s always good to spend an extra minute or 2 to make your own bed.

Drinking plenty of water

Around 60% of the human body is made of water hence keeping yourself hydrated is very essential for health and well-being. During everyday activities, we lose water by sweating or urination. Thus, drinking water is the best source of fluid for the body. Some of the water can be obtained from foods with a high water content like soups, tomatoes, oranges, watermelons but most come through drinking water, juices or other beverages.

Exercising & meditating every day

Regular moderate exercise like walking, running, gymming or cycling helps you maintain overall vitality, manage your weight and keep your stress levels low. While meditation techniques improve your focus and lower stress. Both are very beneficial to you but combining both of them in your workout routine has some immense benefits to your wellness, fitness and mental clarity.

Eating healthy food

A healthy diet may help you to prevent certain diseases such as heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, cancer and obesity. Today, many of us consume a diet which includes sugar, high sodium, saturated fat, trans fat, maida, etc. Whereas a healthy diet is a mixture of fruits and veggies, plenty of fibre, enough amount of milk and other dairy products, certain amounts of protein as well as whole grains and nuts.

Taking regular breaks at work

We shouldn’t underestimate the power of short breaks in between work. Taking regular breaks at work is not only beneficial for our physical health, but also for our mental health, it reduces stress levels, increases productivity and makes us more creative. You can do plenty of activities during breaks like stretching, doodling, conversation with your co-workers, taking a walk around the office, having snacks, etc.

Keeping tidy desk

Remember, your workspace speaks for yourself even when you’re not there. A clean and tidy work environment boosts productivity and morale. It creates a better first impression. You can access documents or any other things easily, which can help to increase efficiency and reduce stress. So it’s very important to maintain a clutter-free workspace, after all you only will get to have a ready to start cleaned up desk on the next day.

Having an hour for your hobby

Spending time on hobbies not only makes us happier and more relaxed but also improves our workplace productivity, focus, and creativity. So whether you work 8-9 hours a day or sleep 7- 8 hours a day, you still have time for yourself. In this time you can spend time doing your favourite activities like planting, reading, knitting, etc. One thing you need to keep in mind that you need to schedule everything in advance in order to make time for your hobbies.

Journaling

Journaling is a form of self-expression. From travel journals to dream journals, we can include too much information in journals. But most of us like to record day’s events and observations. Effective journaling can result in many positive outcomes and improvements to your quality of life such as improving your memory, boosting your mood, and reducing depression. There are many other benefits to keeping a journal. You’ll discover more when you start one!

The list can go on and on. So make some of these if not all of these, part of your life and go after achieving the goals you’ve set for yourself. If you have never followed a proper routine, then you should start by making small changes, such as replacing soft drinks with water or green tea or adding a 10-15 minute walk to a daily routine.

You must be thinking about how to eat healthy at work when you spend almost half of your day there. To eat healthy, you need to eat smart too. You can start your day by eating a heavy meal at your breakfast and having an ideal lunch. You can always choose healthy alternatives like salads and fruits for your lunch or snacks. But remember to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water during the day.

Remember, it takes time

Just like trying to create a new habit, starting and sticking to a new one takes some effort and time. No matter what kind of diet you choose, it’s okay to make some adjustments. You know yourself better than anyone else, so if something doesn’t seem to be working for you, try making some changes to your schedule to make it work for you. Plans don’t always go as planned though, so remember to be kind to yourself.