Hitting the snooze button a few times, getting out of bed slightly grumpy, and grabbing a coffee on your way out are all familiar habits and feelings we have experienced at least once in our lifetime. We’ve all heard about the magic of developing a routine: how it betters your life, improves your overall satisfaction and increases productivity. But, what does it take to create healthy habits and a good routine that can help you reach your goals?
The Science of Habits and Creating Routines
Let’s start with the most basic definition: a routine is an action that is performed repeatedly until it becomes involuntary. Once that happens, it will serve as a guiding principle for you. Routines can be daily, weekly, or monthly. Let’s say that you feel the need to escape your everyday life, so each Sunday, you go hiking in the woods. Repeating it every week makes this action a routine. As simple as that. However, it takes time to incorporate certain habits into your life that can, later on, become part of your morning and evening routine.
Research shows that developing a new habit takes around 66 days on average, but a huge part of our actions are already habitual. Moreover, you never really forget a habit, so the only thing you can do is to incorporate small steps into your routine that can better your existing ones. Recent studies show that a greater percentage of successful and productive people say that they are strictly following a morning routine. Meditation, exercising, and drinking water have all proven to be effective habits that you can work on.
We all know about the power of routines — they can determine your whole day ahead. Here are some things you can keep in mind to create a successful morning or evening routine:
Your morning and evening routine should be personal. Always remember that what works for others, might not be appropriate for you. Try out things that you enjoy doing and develop some healthy habits that suit you best and that can improve your life satisfaction. Also, we all know that consistency is key. Even though it takes some time for you to implement a habit into your everyday routine, make sure that you are rigorous and stick to the steps.
The Benefits of Developing Your Own Routines
Your mind is flooded with everything you need to do from the second you wake up. At night, the scenario is similar: you tend to worry about the tasks you need to do the next day. It might prove beneficial to spend some time aligning your behaviors and beliefs. Let’s take a look at some of the advantages of establishing a morning or evening routine and healthy habits in your life!
- Having a routine can help you develop long-term habits and stay consistent;
- It lowers your stress levels, boosts your energy, and improves your life satisfaction;
- Routines increase productivity and give you more control over your schedule;
- Following some predetermined steps can improve your time management skills and helps you prioritize your tasks;
- Being in charge of your time and habits boosts your confidence and improves your personal and professional relationships — including the relationship you have with yourself.
How Should Your Morning Routine and Evening Recap Look Like?
Do you feel like your day is chaotic and something might be missing from your everyday life? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Your routines should not have a predetermined time: those can take from 20 minutes to 2 hours, depending on your availability. Just keep in mind that such a habit can help you save 20+ hours per week!
We have compiled a list of steps you can follow to help you implement routines into your life a lot easier. Our exercises are meant to help you reach your goals and guide your path to a happier life.
Your Step-by-Step Morning Routine
- Stick to a Fixed Bedtime and Wake-up Time
This way, you can make sure that you get a good amount of sleep, and that you are rested and full of energy when you wake up. If you fill in your to-do list in the evening, you will notice a sense of calmness the next day.
- Don’t Hit the Snooze Button
Snoozing your alarm clock can slow down your productivity. Keep your alarm clock or your phone as far away from your bed as possible, and you will be more motivated to get out of bed. Once you get up, go to the bathroom and freshen up: brush your teeth, clean your face or do your skincare routine.
- Start Your Day With a Glass of Water
You will feel more hydrated and get your body ready for the day. You can even add lemon, honey, or apple cider vinegar into a warm glass of water for added health benefits and antioxidant properties.
- Write Down Some Positive Affirmations in a Notebook and Meditate
We hear a lot of people nowadays talk about meditation or positive affirmations. It’s worth giving it a try as part of your morning routine and then seeing how you feel. Did you know that morning meditations can improve your life by boosting productivity and lowering stress and anxiety? Check out this pleasant meditation sound to help you get started!
After meditating, try to reflect on the following questions:
- What positive message do I need today?
- What can I do today to define my day as a great success?
- Who can I support, surprise, show gratitude or appreciation today?
- What situation might stress me out today, and how can I deal with that to reduce my anxiety?
- To change my reality, what do I need to work on today?
- What is one thing that I am excited about for today?
- Check the vibration scale of energy and write down where do you see yourself.
- What can I do today to push myself out of my comfort zone and into the direction that I want to go?
- What can I do today to make my life joyful and rewarding and celebrate my wins?
- What future project/idea do I have to keep in mind, even if I dont act on it now?
Continue by following your morning routine checklist, prioritizing the tasks you need to do, and trying to reach your goals throughout the day. Then, try to move your body a little bit – either do some physical exercises or go on a short walk and breathe some fresh air.
- End Your Morning Routine With a Healthy Breakfast
A healthy breakfast is a mandatory step in your morning routine. Food is the fuel of your body, so eating the right amount of vitamins can boost your energy, help you concentrate, and reduce hunger throughout the day.
The Evening Recap Recommendations and Exercise
The way you end your day sets the tone for the following day. I quickly learned that having an intentional evening was one of the secrets to getting up early. Because staying up late was natural for me, I needed to be deliberate about how I spent my time in order to get to bed at a reasonable hour. However, here are some tips you can follow in order to improve your evening routine:
- Spend Some Time With Your Family and Try To Connect With Them
A huge part of your evening recap should be improving your relationship with your loved ones and yourself. You can even get ready for the next day with them, by meal prepping or creating a checklist, for example.
- Try To Minimize the Time You Spend Using Technology
According to a recent study, roughly 42 percent of respondents believe that using their smartphones before bed causes them to sleep poorly. So, try to avoid checking your social media accounts right before bed or watching TV for a long period of time.
- Avoid Eating at Least 2 or 4 Hours Before Bed
Otherwise, you might feel full or bloated and it will cause health imbalance or discomfort. You can even drink a glass of water with lemon and baking soda to cleanse your body.
- Reflect On Your Day
We have already established that morning meditation can improve your life, but spirituality and introspection can be part of your evening recap as well. Try to answer the following questions:
- Which of the things I planned for today did I achieve?
- What mistake did I make today that I can laugh about and learn something useful from?
- What is one new thing I learned today?
- If I could live this day again, what would I do differently, and what can I do better tomorrow?
- What positive mental message can I send with all my heart to someone in need?
Gratitude is one of the most fulfilling emotions you can harness to fill your life with abundance. End your day with a short gratitude exercise: write down at least three things you are thankful and appreciative for.
We’re Here To Help You Achieve Happiness!
Our Happiness Journey Program was specifically designed to guide you on your self-introspection and discovery path. Join our coaching sessions to learn more about your skills and competencies, your life mission, meditation, vision boards, and healthy habits.
Even though following a morning and evening routine might seem like a small step, it will help you in the long run, as it can improve your life and get you one step closer to reaching your goals!
