Establishing a Routine

How many of us thrive on routine?

Wake up, hit alarm, cook breakfast, and go to work.
Wake up, hit alarm, cook breakfast, and go to work.
You get it.

I will be the first to say I love me a good routine.

What if we use this time to create a new routine? Routines have amazing psychological benefits and help promote healthier living. Establishing a routine helps you create new and improved habits. As humans, we thrive on automation.

How many times have you gone through your entire morning routine and didn’t even think about what you were doing? Or better yet, have you ever driven to the store, parked, and then realized you had NO idea how you got there? Now that’s automatic!

Above all, having a routine helps you set a firm foundation to fully adopt the new habits you are wanting to create. Last week, I talked about creating new habits. James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits”, says that it takes 66 days (to be exact) for a habit to become automatic. For some people, it can range up to 120 days. If you are incorporating your new habit in a “soon-to-be” automatic routine, your chance of success goes up.

If you want to create a new habit of calling your mother, incorporate that in your drive home from work.

OR

If you want to start meditating, incorporate that in your morning routine before your coffee and after your morning walk (or whatever works best for you.)

Not only that, routines have been proven to help alleviate stress and anxiety in both children and adults, especially if you are integrating activities like exercise, healthy nutrition, and journaling into your routine.

The idea is that the order should be the same, allowing the habit to become more automatic.

So, it’s your turn! What are your ideas on a new routine?