Benefits Of Having A Daily Routine
What does a typical day look like for me? Someone who is unemployed during a worldwide pandemic. Nowhere to go except the grocery store. Is having a routine even important then? The simple answer: Yes.
An average day goes like this for me:
Wake Up at 5am: No snooze, lay in bed 15 minutes max
Feed the cats
Wash the dishes
Make a cup of tea or coffee
Check/Respond to emails
Adulting: job search, paperwork, groceries, ect.
Journal
Content Creation: research, prep, photoshoot, or editing, ect.
Lunch
Check/Respond to emails again
Option to continue working or relax for the rest of the day
It might not look like much, but all this usually takes up eight hours and my day goes by pretty fast. It also keeps my brain and body active. Trust me, some days I feel extremely exhausted.
So, why else do I do this?
Sense of Control
At a time where you can’t control anything, the one thing you can control is yourself and how you respond to current events. The act of “doing” gives a sense of normalcy and purpose. Routine will anchor you when everything else is unpredictable.
Mental Health
Having a routine can also reduce stress and anxiety. You create a new normal that you’re able to follow without worrying about what needs to be done next. Having important (even if it’s personal) tasks to focus on will reduce the unnecessary amount of time spent on constant news updates, eating out of boredom, or feeling stir crazy.
Achieve Goals
With all this free time, why not accomplish goals that have been put on the back burner? Even finishing a simple task like putting away the laundry can increase your sense of happiness. Achieving our goals goes hand-in-hand with mental health.The feeling of being happy has the potential to create and form positive behaviors which in turn leads to accomplishing the tasks we’ve given ourselves.
Everyone’s life is different: different goals, needs, desires, resources, ect. That is why it is important to develop your own personal routine. It won’t look anything like mine. Someone might have a shorter list, while another person might have a longer list.
Focus on the positives and make the best out of your situation!