Routines Reduce Stress
Have you noticed that it gets harder to make decisions toward the end of the day? You’re too tired to figure out what to have for dinner or what to watch on TV. That’s because we all have a finite amount of decisions that we can make on any given day.
Knowing that helps us prioritize. We can cut out a lot of decision-making by implementing habits and routines. That way we save them for the important stuff. It also frees brain space for more creative and productive thinking. Routines are a great tool that simplifies our lives and cut out a lot of our daily stress.
Morning Routine
Chances are, you already have a morning routine. You get up, you get your coffee, read the paper or check your phone or tablet, and fix some toast before heading into the shower. Let’s expand on that. If you create a “uniform” for yourself, you don’t even have to think about what to wear. You just grab a pair of pants and a shirt, or a skirt, tights, and sweater, and off you.
Why not consider implementing routines into your workday wherever possible? Meal planning helps you figure out what meals to fix and eat. A cleaning schedule makes sure you stay on track with your household chores without you having to spend any valuable decision-making skills in the process.
Wrap your day up with a bedtime routine that not only helps when you’re too tired to make smart choices, it also helps you fall asleep more easily. What works for your toddler works for you as well.
Start by doing a few chores that make the next morning easier. Making sure the kitchen is clean and the kids’ school things are in order are great examples. Come up with a few calming things that help you slow down and get ready for sleep. Read a book, listen to some music, meditate, or wind down with a cup of herbal tea.
It’s best to sit down with a pen and piece of paper and think about what parts of your day and week you can turn into routines. Write them down and create daily to-do lists for yourself until you’ve established these new habits and routines.
Create Routines and Habits
Spending a little bit of time creating routines and habits will make your day run a lot smoother. You might just find yourself less stressed, and you may just get more done during your productive hours.
And that’s a beautiful thing. It allows you to save plenty of decision-making for the fun stuff like figuring out what park to go to, what restaurant to go to for dinner, what family movie to watch, or what board game to play.
Think about it, your stress is something you have total control over!
You have the power to live stress-free!
“90% of what you’re stressing about right now won’t even matter a year from now.
Take a deep breath.” – Mel Robbins
Meditation is a habit that may come easily to some. I have been meditating for over five years, but there were many days I found myself slipping. These days, not so much, not since I completed the no-cost Action Habits Challenge by Connie Ragen Green, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, independent publisher, and serial entrepreneur. You can check it out here.
If you’re interested in revitalizing your life through meditation and would like to learn a virtually risk-free, and cost-effective practice, that people of all ages can do with a little patience and guidance and that will serve you for the rest of your life, I would love to connect with you. You can connect with me here.
I’m Donna SLam, who loves to blog about how meditation brings self-compassion, peace of mind, and clarity to my life and others by sharing tips and strategies to live a fulling and purposeful life. I enjoy championing others to lead a healthy and happy life through meditation, walking, self-development, and spending time with loved ones.
Follow me on:
