If you’ve had the chance to read a few of my blog posts so far, you might have gathered that the pandemic taught me a lot. (I’ve spoken about lessons from the pandemic here). One of these lessons is how crucial it is to develop enjoyable daily routines that we can commit to for the long term. The fact that we had all of our external delights and luxuries ruthlessly snatched away in the blink of an eye made me hyper-focus on ways how I could alleviate what turned out to be two-plus years of glorified prison time.
Routines, habits, rituals, practices, processes – call it whichever word you like best. My point is that waking up with a decent level of excitement to tackle what could be a day full of mundane, repetitive activities (with a healthy dose of stress thrown in for good measure) isn’t something that we should take lightly.
Over the last two and a half years of the pandemic, I had the opportunity to refine my routines to the point where almost all bring even as little as 20% of joy to my day. I’m not saying you have to be absolutely thrilled at the notion of completing them. You might even have to push yourself a little to get going on them. But fun routines have numerous lifestyle benefits, not the least of which is not letting adverse world events get to you and derail you from what you need to get done.
Even sitting here, writing this article at 7 PM with a working deadline of 9 PM, I’m starting to think of ways in which I can add some spark to the situation. (Initial thoughts: sushi delivered). For you, it could be taking a walk in the middle of the day, caring for your pets and plants, or befriending your neighbourhood corner store owner so that picking up groceries becomes a social experience.
Below is a list of reasons why creating and committing to good routines are beneficial to our overall lives.
WHY WE SHOULD LIKE OUR DAILY ROUTINES
Provides structure to the day.
I’ve lived a life with structure and a life without, and I’ll be honest, I feel a lot better about myself when I accomplish things systematically throughout the day. As indulgent as it can feel, sleeping in and messing around on social media for too long first thing in the morning can sap your motivation and mental focus. Everything ends up getting delayed. I try and save the “no schedule” days for weekends and vacations and go all out doing as I please then.
Whether you work a 9 to 5, attend school, run your own business, or live the sweet, funemployment life, creating attainable milestones throughout the day will help you make the most out of your time and energy.
It adds a level of excitement to the day.
During the pandemic and Work From Home, I started including small but exciting “rewards” in my routines to get them done. For example, I used wireless headphones during my YouTube yoga workouts to listen to enjoyable music instead of only the workout video. Or buying myself my favourite snack during my weekly grocery shopping excursion. As much as I may like yoga or grocery shopping in and of themselves, even those activities can get mundane and repetitive sooner or later. Giving yourself mini rewards will help you stay committed.
Sustainable over the long term.
If your routines are enjoyable, there is a very high chance that you will keep them going for months and years. Not to mention your motivation will grow the longer you stay committed.
One of my favourite quotes is: “When you are tired, learn to rest, not quit.” This quote has been a game-changer in my life. We tend to get so dramatic when we lose motivation or if we lose the good feelings about a particular task and want to give up on it altogether. But all you have to do is go easy on yourself, take a break from the routine for a few days, regroup and then come back to it renewed. It’s not the end of the world if you feel like taking time off from making lunches and dinner every night of the week and order in instead.
It helps us reach our goals faster.
Routines and the habits they form help build momentum. We can channel this momentum towards whatever our current short, and long-term goals may be. Whether it’s a fitness goal, eating better by cooking most of your meals at home, mastering a course, or improving your relationships, routines will help you get there faster.
Aristotle said: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Reduces overall stress.
Let’s quickly recap. Enjoyable routines create commitment. Commitment leads to long-term sustainability. Once we’ve automated these habits over the long term, our stress levels are significantly reduced since many essential tasks are done with more and more ease, decreasing stress and freeing up time and mental space.
Once our routines are established and become second nature, we can either relax with the free time or use the extra time and energy to take on more projects that interest us. It turns into a highly productive cycle with endless benefits for our lives.
Saves you money.
This one is a personal favourite. Enjoying your day-to-day life reduces the need for spontaneous (and expensive) vacations, eating out unnecessarily and other frivolous endeavours. Looking forward to being at home, to your work day, and your evening and weekend routines will undoubtedly boost your bank account, leading to more good feelings – An all-around win-win, if you ask me?
Better for your health.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, routines help you eat better, stick to your workouts, sleep better and more. These are pillars of wellbeing which contribute significantly to good health.
One item I recently added to my daily habit tracker is refraining from checking social media every few hours and now only using it at a fixed time in the morning and evening. This practice has significantly reduced the mental static that frequent social media use creates. Even NOT doing something that you used to can be considered part of your routine and benefit your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
Improves confidence and self-esteem.
Finally, creating and sticking to routines can genuinely boost your confidence and self-esteem. Even if no one but you knows what you get done on an average day, the fact that you’ve kicked bad habits and have committed to new, healthier ones can work wonders for how you feel about yourself.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope that what you have read has somehow educated, informed, or inspired you. You can sign up for the mailing list below to receive special announcements directly to your inbox no more than once a month (We won’t spam you!).
Follow the Minimal Instinct digital magazine on Instagram for new blog post announcements and other lifestyle content on minimalism. The link is in the top right of the navigation bar at the top of the page.
Comment down below with your thoughts about this post. I always love hearing your feedback and if my articles have helped you!