Even though a lot of people find having a routine mundane and experience it as a bit stifling, keeping at least a basic structure for your day is actually hugely beneficial on several different levels.
If you have ever tried to create and stick to a daily routine and failed, don’t worry, it is a common struggle. However, research shows that having a daily routine can have far-reaching psychological benefits and the clearer you are about how much easier you can make your life, the more you will realize that you don’t want to miss out on the many benefits of having a solid routine.
You may doubt us when we say that life can be fun, carefree and easy once you stick to a schedule, but if you consider the chaos you would encounter if there wasn’t some kind of framework for your workday, you will realize that nothing would ever get done and you’d only be confused and upset.
Reality is, creating and adhering to a daily routine is the key to happiness, freedom and productivity. Here are our TOP 10 reasons why setting a daily routine is so important.
#1 Reduces Stress & Anxiety
In our modern life, which is pretty much defined by unpredictability and with that can provoke high levels of anxiety and stress, having a routine can be the anchor for your day and provide predictability. If you create a schedule for all the tasks you have to do at work as well as your meetings, chores, exercise, ‘me-time’ and everything else you need to to, it will become much easier to accomplish everything because you know what to do and when to do it. By taking the guesswork out of your day you can tremendously reduce your stress and anxiety levels.
#2 Improves Efficiency
By sticking to a daily routine, we create a framework for our day-to-day tasks and with that reduce the necessity to have to make certain decisions like what to do next. We are much more likely to work through our to-do list and get things done, because we have set a schedule for specific tasks such as getting our workout in, running errands, work and social time. Sure, sometimes an emergency might come up that takes up some of our time, but having a schedule will make us overall a lot more productive .
#3 Boosts Confidence
As we’ve seen, creating a routine and then sticking to it, helps us to get things done and with that, we create a great sense of satisfaction, which gives us a big boost to our self-confidence in our work life as well as our personal life. And the more confident we are, the more we are motivated to get things done. On the other hand, having a routine will help us to build more trust in ourselves and we don’t have to entirely rely on our willpower and determination to get things done.
#4 Reduces Procrastination
Procrastination is a hard habit to get rid of, but having a solid routine can definitely help to reduce it. When we allocate chunks of time for certain tasks we need to do, whether that’s in our work life or outside of it, these tasks become ingrained in our system and over time our subconscious will accept these tasks as part of our routine that need to get done. The bonus side effect is that these tasks then automatically require less effort.
#5 Gives Us More Time to Relax
A big bonus of having a routine is that it allows us to set aside time every single day to either relax or pursue our passion. Remember, we are more efficient and get things done, which means we free up some precious time to devote it to the things that matter most to us. When you plan out your week, assign big blocks of time to the things you love the most and make sure that these times are non-negotiable. Then schedule the rest of your life around these most important things.
#6 Creates Structure
Routine provides us with a sense of familiarity and structure and having a structure means that we organize our life in a way that makes sense to us. It’s that great feeling of waking up in the morning and having a sense of ownership over our life. On the other hand, having a routine makes our lives easier because the structure allows us not to have to make a daily schedule over and over again because we already know what we have to do.
#7 Develops Good Habits
As human beings we are creatures of habit and when we consciously and actively create a positive daily routine for ourselves, we have the power to develop plenty of good habits. Having a routine means that we consciously make a choice on how we want to live our life on a daily basis and we get to decide to do what makes us happy and what gives us utility. With that, we have the ability to develop plenty of good habits because we actively participate in our own lives.
#8 Saves Us Time
Time is one of our most valuable resources and once it is lost, we can’t get it back. The great thing about having a routine is that we free up a lot of time that we would normally use to prepare, plan and make decisions. However, since we created a routine and vowed to adhere to it, we have a predetermined schedule that allows us to use our time more efficiently and save some of that precious asset.
#9 Helps Us Prioritize
When we create a routine that works best for us, it forces us to look at our daily tasks and decide what is important to us and can prioritize what we need to do in the order of importance. Instead of having to make these decisions on a daily basis, we already know what we have to do and in what order we need to do them because we have carefully and consciously planned it. For example, if you decide that you want to be more healthy and mindful, you incorporate daily exercise and meditation into your routine and know already that it is a goal you want to achieve no matter what else happens that day.
#10 Builds Momentum
When we start to do something routinely every single day, even if it’s only the tiniest bit, it builds huge momentum over time. While little steps may not seem like much when we do them, just think about it. If you decide to run a mile every day, you will run 365 miles a year. If you decide to save $10 a day by packing a home-cooked lunch, you save $3,650 a year and if you decide to read 20 pages in a book every day, you will be able to read somewhere around 30 books a year. What is it that you want to build momentum for? Start incorporating a little bit into your daily routine and you will get huge payoffs over time.
Most adults wing their day and don’t stick to a daily routine. But just imagine how anxious, stressed and overwhelmed you would feel if you wake up without a plan and no idea about what you are going to do. Create a routine that fits your lifestyle and carefully consider your options. We all have different needs, resources, goals and desires so make sure that you develop a routine that best fits what you want to achieve in life. Just make sure you also leave enough room for downtime in your schedule. And once you set a routine, make sure that you periodically tweak it to keep things interesting and fresh.
ROUTINE IS THE SECRET KEY TO SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS
Joschi & Monika
#BoldNaked