It’s all about Routines: 7 Key Elements to form Healthy Habits that work for you, Do’s, Don’ts, Tips and Tricks
It’s July; this month is all about routines. In the last post, we found out why habits are important. Additionally, we discussed ways to build or break habits by adjusting the cues and rewards associated with certain behaviour. Now it’s time to focus on routines.
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What are routines, and why are they important?
Sometimes routines get a bad rep because they are often viewed as fixed or strict. On the other hand, routines are also associated with keywords such as productivity and success. I simply view it as a plan to ensure that I am maximising my time and efforts in order to accomplish my vision and goals.
I also believe that routines come in all shapes and sizes, hence the reason some could be perceived as being fixed or strict. Quite frankly, it all depends on a person’s preference.
Regardless of the perception, I believe that creating a schedule aimed at achieving a desired outcome increases the likelihood of accomplishing the task.
Why?
Routines can help you stay organised. This is likely to increase your productivity because it allows you to efficiently manage your time.
Routines could help you track what works and what doesn’t.
Like we discussed in June’s blog posts, routines and habits also go hand in hand.
TIP #1
Motivation gets you started, but habits are what keeps you going. Jim Ryun.
Routines
Your day is essentially made up of a collection of habits. And so, building routines around the habits you want to keep is vital. Therefore, there are two prerequisites that are needed when building good habits.
Prerequisite #1 Self-awareness
It starts with being mindful of the actions that you currently do or wish to do. In my opinion, this will increase the likelihood that your action plan is effective and will be sustainable.
DO #1
Conduct a self-check-in. Whether you already have your vision and goals set or haven’t even begun the process, do some soul searching before you start to develop your routines. Try a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis, by visualising yourself as the company.
Prerequisite #2 Research
As a runner, knowing what to eat, wear or do before, during and after a race can make or break the experience. Hence, vicarious learning is a good start, especially for beginners. Thus, research – be that finding inspiration or just reading up on practices you would like to do – is the next step, after self-awareness for building your plan of attack. Think about it, how many videos, articles, books, pins etc., are titled “habits of a successful person”, “the routine of a _____” or “my ____ routine”. People want to know what worked for others.
TIP #2
Find what works for you. This could mean trial and error or researching a desired approach. This takes time, so have patience, especially if it’s new.
What are the main elements of a routine?
Holistic health requires balance. You need to know when to be rough and when to rest. Now use what you have learnt about yourself, where you want to go or achieve and the possible methods to get there to develop a routine that hits the trifecta – mind, body and soul.
#1
You need to incorporate a mindfulness act.
#2
You need to move.
#3
You need rest and proper meals.
#4
You need to manage your environment.
#5
You need to manage your social interactions and relationships.
#6
You need to regulate your external influences such as news, gossip and social media.
#7
You need to keep track of your progress.
Mindfulness
Checking in with your body and your mind should be done daily. This involves taking a moment to see how you feel, physically and mentally. Prompts to rest or move forward are valuable when it comes to sustaining a healthy lifestyle and regime.
As such, take time to regularly orient yourself and familiarise yourself with your physical reactions to certain things or situations. This includes prayer, meditation, self-reflection and being attentive to your physical body. Be mindful.
Movement
Adding movement to your daily routine is a must. This can take many forms at varying intensities, such as walking versus running or bodyweight exercises versus weightlifting. Choose what works for you and when.
Rest and Nutrition
Restoring the mind, body and soul involves rest. Sleep is something that is often overlooked in the pursuit of and goals and objectives. But, to get the best out of any routine this needs to be factored in. Rest, not necessarily sleep, is also important. And it not only means periods of inactivity. Sometimes it’s just taking a break from a current activity that you may have been doing or regularly do to do another. Both are important for restoring muscles, reducing stress and improving your mental health, productivity levels, immunity, etc. For more information on the importance of sleep, see this article.
TIP #3
Allocate some me time for yourself. This can be done in many forms; it depends on what rejuvenates you. It’s your preference; whether it’s reading, yoga, watching tv, cooking, taking a bath, do you.
Proper nutrition is also important. This includes the quality and quantity of your meals, the time you choose to eat (that is meals and snacks) and the preparation process. Remember, balance is key.
Environmental Self-care
Managing your environment is also something that should be factored into your routine. Your environment has a direct impact on your health. Whether it is from a cleanliness perspective or organisational perspective, your environment directly impacts how you feel. Think about it, isn’t your health affected by what you hear, see, smell and touch; then your environment is important.
Social interactions
I usually get up in the morning, do my daily devotions, and then call my parents, which basically sets the tone for my day. What interactions set the tone for your day, week or month? These are the interactions that you need to pay attention to. Are these interactions enabling your development, or are they hindering your development? When it comes to routines, scheduling time with the persons you care about or would like to know is important.
Outside influences
Just like it’s crucial to manage your social interactions, be that the persons you have invited into your life or exist because of where you work or your family, you have to also manage what you ingest from the outside world. This includes news, gossip, social updates, etc. Yes, it is important to keep abreast of what is going on, but timing is everything.
80% of what you listen to and read should be positive. Positivity generates lower stress, which positively affects the body and spirit. Remember, mental health is equally as important as physical health. These things need to be managed if you are pursuing a healthy lifestyle. Note, I’m not saying to totally get off of social media, but I’m just saying that you should manage it, especially at certain intervals of your day. Specifically speaking in the morning and in the evening when you are getting ready for your day or winding down, respectively.
TRICK #1
Match what you want to achieve to what you ingest daily. If you want to think more positively, then is checking the COVID-19 news briefings every hour good or bad for your mental health?
Progress Tracking
Your progress and the method(s) you used to attain and maintain it should be monitored. This process is essential when it comes to routines. Knowing what works from what doesn’t work is very helpful. It can help you, and it can also help others around you. Think about the number of things you have learnt from someone else’s experience (whether good or bad). Like most things in science, we are currently or have all benefited from experimentation and the results of specific actions. This can be done in many ways, via traditional pen and paper, an app, a gadget or a live recording.
Setting-up Routines
Let’s set up a typical day based on the 7 elements outlined above.
#1
To get your day started off right, you need to ensure that your morning starts off properly. Acknowledge what you are grateful for. You must also have a plan for your day. If you did it the night before kudos to you, if not take a few minutes to jot down your daily goals and routine demands.
#2
Move that body.
#3
Take a shower and nourish the body.
#4
Execute the plan you have already outlined for your day. Make sure your plan includes an environmental self-care act.
#5
Repeat.
TRICK #2
Remember, balance is key. When planning your routine, a healthy balance of activity and rest is important. Start with the big-ticket items such as sleep and work and then fit in the other elements needed in a balanced routine.
TIP #4
Devise a Plan B and even a Plan C. Life is not fixed; it’s dynamic. Consequently, routines should be flexible to cater for change. And for beginners, if you are not fully aware of your strengths and weaknesses having alternatives to see what works best for you is a good start. You never know where your niche is, so don’t settle too early; explore.
TIP #5
Make a note of where you fell short during your day. Take note of where you can improve. Today was a lesson; thus, tomorrow is an opportunity to do and be better.
TIP #6
Take baby steps. For some, this can be a significant adjustment. Take your time. Small, gradual adjustments over a long period are always recommended.
Takeaways
Everything leading up to this point has emphasised that taking the guesswork out of your daily life by planning your next steps can maximise your time, efforts and your results.
DO practice mindfulness.
DON’T underestimate the importance of rest.
TIP holistic health requires balance.
TRICK match what you want to achieve to what you ingest daily.
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