Structuring Your Daily Routine To Promote Strong Mental Health

Routine can aid our mental health. It can help us to cope with change, to form healthy habits, and to reduce our stress levels. Creating a daily routine that includes sleeping, eating, exercising and recreational activities, allows you to work better, be more proficient, and stay fulfilled. There is no one-size-fits-all routine to create space for good mental health. It will help you get everything done every day without feeling stressed or overwhelmed by creating an outline of what needs accomplishment and when. It’s much easier to get things done quickly and efficiently when your day has structure and plan how to do something.

Having a daily routine can help to reduce our stress levels. Trying to remember things can be really stressful and can fill our brains up with everything on our “to-do” list; which can be incredibly overwhelming. When we have a routine, a lot of the things we do day-to-day slot in, and we don’t have to think about them anymore. For example, when we’re well we don’t have to remember to brush our teeth, because we know from habit that teeth-cleaning comes after breakfast every day. Routine can take the guesswork and uncertainty out of bits of our day, which can allow us to feel more in control and less stressed.

Having a routine can help us to cultivate positive daily habits and to prioritize self-care. Organizing our time can allow us to build in daily habits that help us with our mental health. It could include things like time to relax, or a regular bedtime. When they’re part of our routine, it can make it easier to keep up with them because we have the time to do them and they become our “new normal”.

One of the things that having a regular routine can really help with, is slep. Sleep is really important for our mental health because going to bed and waking up at a similar time most days allows our body to get used to our slep-wake cycle and sets our sleep-wake clock accordingly. This means that by having a regular sleep routine, especially if we build in some time to wind down before we go to bed each day, we should begin to find that we find it easier to get to sleep and sleep better once we are asleep.

Creating a routine allows us to build in time for important things. This includes time to rest, relax, and have fun. Structuring our time to include some downtime increases the likelihood that we’ll manage to have that time most days. We will all value different things, but that’s why our daily routines are individual to us.

“There are many ways to get into a routine, but the number one rule is to make it work for you. Routines help you manage your time better, be more productive, less stressed and feel less overwhelmed.”

1. Create a to-do list: If you have problems identifying what to do, you should create a to-do list. First, write down all the important things you have to do each day on your list. Next, rank them according to how important and urgent they are. You can then prioritize doing the most important task first, followed by the next. Having a to-do list gives you a better idea of what you should do and the order you should do them.
2. Plan ahead by making a daily schedule: Before going to sleep each day, you can try making a daily schedule. In your schedule, write down everything you will do for a day. Indicate how much time you will spend on each task and when each task starts and ends. You can also try creating a plan for an entire week if you have time. This activity makes your tasks more streamlined by outlining what you should do each day and how much time you will spend on each task. Once finished, make sure to rest and get enough sleep each day to be better prepared to work the next day.
3. Establish a morning routine: Once the alarm clock goes off, it’s time to wake up and start preparing for your day. An excellent way to get yourself motivated every day is to have a healthy morning routine. Dedicate a few minutes at the start of each day on doing something that aids your personal development and reinforces positive thinking. You can try reaing something positive, doing exercise, or doing some self-reflection to help you think straight. The critical thing here is to do something that can jumpstart your day to focus and work better for the rest of the day.
4. Make alternative plans in case of interruptions: When you make a schedule and a task list, you plan to tackle your day. Plans are not absolute, and changes can happen. When something doesn’t happen your way, it’s handy to have a backup plan. For example, if the resources needed for your most important task in a day are not available, maybe you can try doing the next important task instead of waiting for things to get fixed. Alternatively, you can try doing something different that’s still on your list, but it’s at a later time. The idea is to make the most of your time even if interruptions occur.
5. Take advantage of your most productive hours: Every day, there is that time of the day when your productivity is at its peak. This time is usually in the morning, but it can be different for every person. You can identify what time this is by noticing what time of the day you are most energetic and focused. Take advantage of this most productive time by doing your top priorities and most significant projects during this time. This way, you can do them better instead of later when you feel sluggish.
6. Set time for breaks: Breaks might look like a waste of time, but they are necessary to help maintain your momentum and productivity throughout the day. It’s better to keep your momentum and not let yourself hit a low point. So make it a habit to set some time for a break between tasks as these will help your productivity in the long run.
7. Group identical tasks together: Grouping similar tasks together is an effective way of structuring your day. By grouping similar tasks, your brain will not have much problem switching between tasks requiring different skills and knowledge.

“If you don’t control your day, your day will control you.”

Activities To Consider In Your Daily Routine

• Prepare for your day the night before
• Wake up at the same time every day
• Stay organized with a planner
• Take 5 minutes to stretch and wake up your body
• Start with small acts of self-care
• Make your bed
• Have breakfast and a cup of coffee or tea away from your computer or phone
• Set boundaries around your work hours
• Plan free time as a cushion in your schedule where you can work on whatever you want or catch up on things
• Try Yoga poses for reducing stress and anxiety (youtube)
• Create blocks in your schedule for focused activities
• Drink lots of water
• Block out 20 – 30 minutes (minimum) for self-development practices like journaling, meditation, or reading
• Take breaks after completing a task
• Limit your use of electronic devices/ Social Media or TV time.
• Eat meals that nourish you throughout the day (plan these out too)
• Make time for family, friends and/ or hobbies
• Acknowledge three things you are grateful/ thankful for
• Go to bed at a regular time
• Do more of whatever it is that boosts your mindset