routines

I have been trying to find ways recently to simplify my life, and at the same time, make my daily life healthier. One of the ways I feel like I can make progress towards both of those goals at the same time is to develop healthy routines and implement them in my life.


Developing a routine can have a positive impact on your mental and physical health. It helps create healthy habits, aids in coping with change, and allows us to feel more in control of our overall health and wellbeing. It also provides structure in how we live our lives and conduct our daily activities. So it is easy to see how having healthy routines can help me reach my health and overall wellness goals more easily.

Since a routine is something that you do repeatedly, it eventually becomes a habit. This increases efficiency in our lives and enables us to do things without always consciously thinking about them. I do something called "habit stacking" to develop my routines and get to the point where I do them habitually. (There is a book on this topic, called.... Habit Stacking. Go figure.)

With habit stacking, you basically take something you do that is already a habit (such as brushing your teeth before bed), and add another small behavior (for example, washing your face) onto that habit, so the first habit (teeth brushing) becomes the cue to complete the second behavior (face washing).  I have developed entire routines of microhabits that are cued by doing a thing that is already a habit for me.

So, I have an evening routine, for example, that looks like this:

• brush teeth and put retainers on
• wash and moisturize face
• take meds/vitamins/supplements
• review my journal and add anything I wanted to and haven't yet
• check tomorrow's calendar, weather forecast and menu
• get meat out of the freezer for tomorrow's dinner
• set out clothes for tomorrow
• get my work bag ready for tomorrow
• double check alarm is set
• take contact lenses out
• go to bed

Having this set routine makes the going to bed process easier and helps me to calm down, as I don't rush through any of these things. Because I pre-prep for the next day, it also helps me start my morning off on the right foot. I am really not a morning person at all, so prepping for my morning the night before makes my mornings much less stressful and I don't get that "chicken with my head cut off" feeling. I am also much more likely to remember everything I need to take with me the next day if I get ready at night, instead of in the morning, since I am typically much more alert at night.


I also have a morning routine to help me get through the morning with as little chaos as possible, but it essentially boils down to:

• hit snooze about 5 times
• jump out of bed at the last minute
• shower
• throw my clothes on that I picked out last night (thank goodness I did that)
• start the crockpot if that is the plan for dinner (also a good thing I got the meat out last night)
• grab my work bag (pre-packed and ready to go)
• put my dog outside
• go to work

I am SO not a morning person but I am trying to make my mornings more productive and purposeful. I want to add yoga and meditation to my morning routine, but I have to break the snooze button habit for that to happen, lol. I am still working on building my morning routines, because mornings are so challenging for me. But I feel like it could be an important improvement in my health and daily life.


Establishing and following a healthy routine can improve the following MacroHabits of Health:

• Healthy Mind. A routine allows us to feel more in control and less stressed. Knowing that we’re preparing our evening meal at 6:00 p.m. and going to bed by 10:00 p.m. provides comfort and helps to eliminate uncertainty. Routines also let you get things done on "autopilot" so that you are expending less mental energy trying to remember to get everything done.

• Healthy Eating & Hydration. A routine allows us to block off dedicated time for meal planning and eating. Try setting an alarm every two – three hours as a reminder to have a fueling, healthy snack or small meal. Also dedicate some time on the weekends to plan your meals for the week ahead. Some people also find it very helpful to not only plan their meals, but prep a lot of their food, such as cutting up all your vegetables, mixing sauces, etc on the weekend so they have less to do to have a quick but healthy meal on the table after work.

• Healthy Motion. It can be difficult to fit healthy motion into our schedules when life gets busy. By having a routine, even if it’s only a couple of days a week, we can create time to incorporate motion into our days, whether it is just a little bit of increased activity, or formal exercise. If you plan to arrive somewhere a few minutes early, that gives you the time to stretch when you get out of the car, park further away and walk, take the stairs instead of the elevator, etc. Also, giving yourself time in the morning for a few minutes of stretching, yoga, or walking can help you wake up and increase your alertness in the morning.

• Healthy Sleep. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day allows our bodies to get used to a regular sleep-wake cycle. It’s important to establish a regular sleep routine to feel well rested and to allow your body to recharge. Dedicate some time to winding down before getting in bed and aim to get between seven to nine hours of sleep each night. If possible, find a way to wake up that is less jarring than a sudden alarm. Some people find success with a light that gradually brightens to wake them, or with an alarm that starts quietly and increases slowly in volume, as opposed to a sudden loud noise waking you painfully and abruptly.

All of these things, reduced stress, improved nutrition and hydration, increased motion and better sleep are important to long-term health and longevity. As an Optavia coach, one of my major jobs is to help my clients establish these healthy routines and habits in their own lives, so if you need ideas or assistance, ask me! And remember, I am always working on improving my own! No one is perfect.