Simple Routines With Transformative Power
The power of having a routine and sticking to it is associated with reduced stress, improved sleep, and overall better health. Over the past year, the mundanity of quarantine may have enticed some of us to shrug off our routines or change them all together, but now as we slowly inch back to normalcy, our routines and habits are likely to shift again. Here are a few studied ways you can clear your mind and create a morning and evening routine that will set you up for success.
Reduce your decision-making tasks for the morning
Decisions take time. When our alarm rings it’s piercing sound in the morning, if we don’t have a practiced routine, it’s easy for our minds to wander: First, I’ll shower. No, I’ll make breakfast. I guess I should check my email just in case there’s an emergency. When there’s no clear path, our minds are in a constant negotiation with itself and we start to feel bogged down by the heaping mound of decisions we have to make. The first hour or so of your morning is not the time to spend your decision-making energy! That precious willpower should be saved for the more creative challenges and projects in your life. That’s why reducing your decision-making tasks in the morning is key to starting your day off right. There’s a million ways to reduce your decision-making time in the morning, and here are just a few: pack your lunch and work bag the night before, write down three goals for the coming day, plan your outfit, know the podcast episode or radio station you’ll listen to while getting ready.
“Eat The Frog” First…
Once your routine is all set, keep the momentum going by “eating the frog first.” This turn of phrase comes from Mark Twain and what it means is that if you accomplish the task you’re dreading most right away then the rest of your day you will come to you with ease.
Stretch Before Bed
There are days where it’s easy to roll out of bed, walk to work, sit at a desk, and then roll right back into bed when you get home. Our bodies aren’t meant for such a static lifestyle, but it can be easy to do. It’s always a good time to stretch! However, if you’re looking to improve your sleep, consider adding stretching to your nighttime routine. Stretching (and yoga more specifically) triggers our parasympathetic nervous system, which is the system responsible for our body’s relaxation response. If you stretch before bed, your body will know it’s time to relax.
Add A Dry Brush
Once again, there’s no bad time to dry brush, but we recommend adding it to your morning routine as a way to increase your blood circulation and give your internal body that alarm clock wake up call!
Meditate On The Big Picture
Our daily routines can feel stuck in minutiae: getting from point A to B, but some of the most successful people take the morning to meditate on the big picture. What’s the big picture? The big picture can include your overarching life goals, such as: love, health, happiness, courage, etc. as well as areas of gratitude or your life motto. Being able to connect the smaller tasks you have planned for the day to the larger “big picture” goals is a great way to set your day with intention and purpose.
No Email, No Internet
This recommendation is probably one of the hardest to put into practice, but it’s important to reiterate that screen time has been proven to increase anxiety and decrease one’s quality of sleep, especially when used within an hour of going to bed. If you’re able, try to implement a no email, no internet practice for the first hour when you wake up in the morning and for one hour prior to going to sleep. What can you do with that time instead? Here are a few ideas: journal, listen to a podcast, read a book, play a card game (with real cards, no apps!), listen to music, or find a new creative hobby such as knitting, coloring, or water painting.
Hydrate, Always
This list would not be complete without including the power of hydration! Water can improve your energy levels immensely. If you’re not one to reach for your water bottle naturally, it can feel like a difficult task to increase your water intake. Our suggestion is to set a goal for yourself, say 1 litre before lunch and 1 litre after lunch. If you can’t measure it, it’s hard to track progress!
