The phone is ringing, your children are yelling at each other, you need to cook dinner, and there are new emails in your inbox that need your attention. It’s a fact that we are pulled in multiple directions every day. Life is busy, but having routines and schedules that help balance out the hectic part of life can help benefit your physical and mental health. Here’s how.
#1: It helps manage stress.
Continued stress can put you at risk for a variety of health problems – heart disease, chronic sickness, diabetes, weight gain, and more. It can also negatively impact your focus at work and at home. Having a routine will help reduce some of that stress that you’re feeling, which translates to better mental and physical health. So, be sure to work some time for yourself in your daily routines – whether it’s a short walk around a park or in nature, relaxing with a book or magazine before bed, or spending time with a friend or loved one.
#2: It helps you get better sleep.
People who have regular bedtime habits and routines – including going to bed around the same time every night – sleep better and are sharper mentally. Not to mention, they usually have more energy throughout the day, helping them be more productive and on-task. Find a time that works well for you to both go to bed and wake up every day. Stick with that routine for several weeks and see what a difference it makes.
#3: It helps you stay active.
If you are working on creating a schedule for your life, make sure to carve out time to be active. Go to the gym, run around the neighborhood, do a workout video at home, or take a walk in a local park. Whatever it is that you enjoy doing to keep moving, build it into your daily routine.
Impulsiveness can be good in some situations, but most of the time, people thrive when they have a routine in place. If you have lived without one for the most part, try working on building a schedule that works for you – one thing at a time. Make a plan based on what you need and what you want to change. Maybe it’s simply developing healthier habits – cutting back screen time, not checking work emails at home, or spending more time with your children or friends.
Building a schedule and routine about what your biggest priorities are is doable and important. When you do, you can not only live a healthier life, but cultivate stronger, lasting relationships.