For all of us, the pandemic has put a dent into our regular day-to-day routines and responsibilities, quickly leaving us grappling at ways to develop a new “far-from-normal” routine that works for us.
This may seem difficult, however creating a beneficial routine that is unique to you is not as hard as you may think! Although, it does involve trial and error.
Read on to begin experimenting with various positive habits you can add to your daily routines to enhance and promote your well-being.
The Benefits of Creating a Daily Routine Filled With Positive Habits:
Implementing a daily routine into our lives grounds us by establishing structure in our lives. This proves to be especially important as we navigate throughout periods of uncertainty like the pandemic, as well as the daily stresses of our lives.
Incorporating a positive routine in our lives also serves to:
-Prioritize our wellbeing everyday
-Provide us with a sense of purpose
-Decrease stress
Positive Habits to:
Incorporate Into Your Morning:
- Fuel Your body!
Having breakfast may be something that you have not prioritized in the past as you rush to get out the house in time or get thrown into the busyness of life right away.
However, breakfast should actually be prioritized. It is nicknamed “the most important meal of the day” for good reason. Through replenishing your body at the start of your busy day, you set yourself up for success. You allow yourself to put your best food forward and better focus on the future activities of your day.
-Get creative! If you often cite your reason for skipping breakfast as rushing out the house and not having enough time, explore breakfasts that are quick and can even be pre-made the night before such as: overnight oats, breakfast wraps, parfaits, etc.
2. Practice Gratitude
Take some time right when you wake up to list three things that you are grateful for.
Although gratitude is something that many of us may benefit from practicing throughout the day, starting our day by expressing gratitude kicks off our day in a positive and optimistic matter!
3. Get Your Body Moving
Find out what works for you and what you enjoy. Not into running? Maybe try taking a walk in your neighbourhood, doing yoga, going for hikes, doing a quick stretch routine, etc.
Promoting our physical well-being is important, but how we do it is completely unique to each and everyone of us. So, incorporate physical activities that appeal to you!
If you choose something you enjoy and look forward to each day instead of dread, you promote your physical wellbeing, as well as your emotional wellbeing.
4. Set Zones in Your Home
As many of us have been relocated to studying and working from home unlike the past, we may find it has taken a hit to our sense of productivity.
A solution: zoning out your home to create boundaries between your work-life.
This may mean setting aside a designated, organized workspace vs. doing your work in bed where you relax. In doing so, you are able to set up a “focus-area” that separates it from the rest of your home and areas where you lounge (the “relax-area”).
-Regardless of what you choose to incorporate into your morning, remember that, first and foremost, as John Geiger mentions: “a beautiful day starts with a beautiful mindset.”
Incorporate Into Your Evening:
- Make a To-Do List for the Following Morning
By getting all of your responsibilities physically written down on post-it-notes, paper, etc. you free up your mind from having to remember all of these things AND you give yourself the ability to foresee your duties for the day to schedule your time accordingly!
2. Ditch Your Electronics Before Bedtime
Unplugging from your electronics thirty minutes or an hour before you plan to go to bed is extremely beneficial. It prevents our body’s sleep cycle from being disrupted from the blue light that would otherwise hinder what could be a peaceful night’s sleep.
Instead of spending time in bed scrolling on social media, watching TV, etc., consider:
-Reading a book
-Doing a quick crossword puzzle
-Colouring
-Meditating or praying
3. (If you struggle waking up early like me) Set Your Alarm Down Farther Away From Your Bed
In doing so, you will have to physically get up, instead of conveniently rolling over and hitting the snooze button while half-asleep.
-There are also several alarm apps that require you to do certain tasks (math problems, word searches, etc.) before stopping its alarm. One app I came across was: Mathe Alarme Clock.
4. Reflect on Your Day
Think about your day and your accomplishments, what you are grateful for, and how you felt throughout it. Provide yourself with a way for your brain to “dump” all of these feelings and thoughts, leaving you with a rested mind ready for a restful night’s sleep.
This can be done through physically writing down your reflections in a journal or simply taking time to quietly reflect on your day in your mind moments before going to bed.
5. Prioritize the Amount of Sleep You Get!
6. Do a Quick Clean of Your Surroundings
Whether it be putting away all the dishes in the sink, cleaning up your desk, or even putting away laundry, a small cleaning task at night is a very beneficial achievement!
Waking up to a clean space puts you in an organized mindset and a good mood versus waking up to a messy space that you have dreaded cleaning up.
-In incorporating some of these positive habits into your night-routine, you are able to set yourself up for a positive beginning to the next morning. Think of these habits as small “gifts” to your future morning-self!
As with developing any routine, daily routines require consistency and discipline. In putting discipline into practice however, we are able to reap the multitude of benefits that these positive habits bring into our lives!
Implementing JUST ONE positive habit into your daily routines, is enough to make a huge difference in your personal, mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
Soon enough, you will have tweaked your routine and found what works best for you and helps enrich your life.
So, what are you waiting for? Try these out for yourself!
Note: The Free Your Mind Mental Health Society is an independent youth-led organization. The contents of this blog are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. In the event of a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 911 or other local emergency numbers immediately
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