Tips for a Healthier Lifestyle
Updated December 2022
By providing structure and organization, routines can improve your health in various ways.
"As clinicians, we want you to find ways to make routines that support better health," explains Cheryl Beutell, APRN, a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Northwestern Medicine. "If you eat healthy and take care of yourself, you may find some peace of mind."
Routines can be enjoyable and fulfilling, and their health benefits may make you wonder why you did not start one earlier. A routine can help you:
- Manage stress more effectively: Stress can put you at higher risk for heart disease and negatively impact your overall health. An effective routine can help reduce stress, which can lead to better mental health, more time to relax and less anxiety.
- Sleep better: Routines like your sleep schedule and bedtime habits affect your mental sharpness, emotional well-being and energy. Maintaining consistent times for waking and going to bed can help you get better rest.
- Eat healthier: Without scheduled time for grocery shopping, it is easier to have a unhealthy diet by ordering fast food or snacks since they are often a convenient option. Taking the time to plan trips to the grocery store gives you the opportunity to think about what healthy foods and meals you can incorporate into your everyday life.
- Get active: It is easier to exercise regularly when you make time for it. A daily routine can help you stay active, and an exercise schedule or program can help you budget your time.
Kick-Start Your Life
Everyone is unique. Not everyone requires a fully scheduled day to reap the health benefits of a routine. Make the choices that will help make you be healthier and get the most out of your time.
Some general tips Beutell shares include:
- Try one thing at a time. Do not feel like you need to change your enter lifestyle all at once; it can be overwhelming and counterproductive.
- Make a plan. Building out your intentions and the changes you want to see can help you be consistent and hold yourself accountable.
- Reframe your thinking. A routine does not need to be about changing the whole way you live. It may be more about incorporating healthier habits into what you already do so that you can live a better life for yourself and for those around you.
"Having a routine is how you build habits," explains Cheryl. "When we practice good habits, that can help us maintain positive relationships, good hygiene and our best health."
FAQs
An effective routine can help reduce stress, which can lead to better mental health, more time to relax and less anxiety. Sleep better: Routines like your sleep schedule and bedtime habits affect your mental sharpness, emotional well-being and energy.
Is routine good for your health? ›
While you can't do away with decision-making completely, creating regular rhythms can take much of the guesswork out of your day. "Carrying out routine activities reduces stress by making the situation appear more controllable and predictable," says Indumathi Bendi, M.D., a primary care physician at Piedmont.
Why is it important to have a daily routine? ›
Routines give our daily life structure and help to eliminate worrying about what is going to happen. When we no longer have that structure, it's easy to feel disoriented and lost. This can cause feelings of anxiety and stress. No one likes feeling out of control.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a daily routine? ›
A routine life can bring a sense of stability and comfort, Predictability and structure to help one's behavior comport. But it may also bring boredom, monotony and routine, Can feel stifling, limiting, and at times obscene.
Is routine really important? ›
Familiar activities can provide comfort for both adults and children during challenging and uncertain times. Just like adults, children feel more confident and secure when their daily activities are predictable and familiar.
What is the power of routine? ›
While routines may sound boring and monotonous, they are actually powerful tools that can help us have more energy and time for the things that are most important to us. A routine is just a list of actions followed in the same order on a regular basis.
What is the ideal daily routine? ›
Tips for creating a daily routine
Consider keeping a daily journal and listing the activities that made you feel personally or professionally fulfilled. For example, you might feel good when you exercise before work, complete your work tasks early or make time to call your parents during the day.
What happens if you don't have a routine? ›
When people don't have a routine or structure to their day it can cause increased stress and anxiety, as well as overwhelming feelings, lack of concentration, and focus. A lack of structure and routine can actually exacerbate feelings of distress and make you pay more attention to the source of your problems.
What is the value of routine? ›
Benefits of Routine
Daily routines are helpful, but you may need a weekly routine for things that you do less often, such as grocery shopping or exercise. Set one or more routines, and you can reap these benefits: Your stress level will fall. If you have a plan, you'll feel more in control.
How does routine help mental health? ›
Dr. Solhkhah noted, “Routines can create a positive level of stress that keeps us focused and may avoid some of the depression that many people may experience as a result of the COVID pandemic, isolation, fear and uncertainty.
Benefits of Scheduling. A schedule establishes a predictable routine that reduces stress and improves efficiency. It makes decision-making easier, eliminates uncertainties, and builds healthy habits to manage your time and energy better. It can be a part of productivity planning and goal management.
What are the benefits of a regular routine? ›
Routines promote health
Regular routines can also help people feel like they have control over their daily lives and that they can take positive steps in managing their health. For example, making time for exercise within routines can help meet recommended daily activity levels.
What are the negative effects of routines? ›
Inflexibility can negatively impact mental health: Strict routines make adapting to changes or unexpected events difficult. If something disrupts your routine, you may experience feelings of stress and anxiety, which can negatively impact your mental and physical health.
Why is it important to have a routine at home? ›
Having a routine can make you feel more grounded and prepared for the day ahead. “Carrying out routine activities reduces stress by making the situation appear more controllable and predictable,” said Indumathi Bendi, a primary care physician at Piedmont Healthcare.
Is routine the key to success? ›
John C. Maxwell once said, “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” Doing the same things in the same order can create an environment conducive to achieving your goals.
Does having a routine make you happier? ›
Make some choices ahead of time by having a routine and a schedule. Stress reduction is just one of the psychological benefits of routine. Organizing your time can also pay off in other ways. The result will be a happier, healthier you.
