Is it good to have a daily routine or does sticking to a routine instead stress us out? Can following a routine bring discipline in our lives or does it cause panic, stress and anxiety? 

 

Well, these are the questions that keep popping in our minds when we genuinely think of bringing some routine into our life. And then, there’s a bigger question - “If I set a daily routine for myself, will I be able to stick to it? 

 

We’ve all been through this phase some time or the other in life. We’ve either been lazy, procrastinated living the disciplined life, or prioritized other things. The reasons can be many, but in the end, we know we’ve toppled down our own plans and failed on our commitments to ourselves, and all we do is feel guilty about our lackadaisical approach. 

 

After all the crumpled feelings of making adjustments in our daily schedule, we finally ask ourselves, “Is it important to have a daily routine? Does it really make a difference in life?” Well, the only answer to ‘why is it important to develop a daily routine’ is that it helps us achieve the one thing we all want in our daily lives - to feel more in control about everything. 

 

A daily routine helps us in finding room for everything else that’s important in our life and we also overcome that counter-intuitive feeling of not being in place. Having a routine not only aids our mental health but also helps us form healthy habits, cope with changes in life and reduce our stress levels; you must be thinking - Only if we stick to it…! 

 

Well, here are some mind-blowing benefits for you to explore on your own. Give them a thought; they might change your doubts on ‘having’ or ‘not having’ or ‘sticking’ to a daily routine...

 

Works like an Anchor

A daily routine is like an anchor. Following a timely set of activities facilitates time management for the daily activities that constitute a coherent part of our lives. For example, having our evening meal around 6 pm, and going to bed around 10 pm. In other words, a slightly structured day leaves us feeling more doable and enhances our productivity too.

 

Reduces stress

We all have our to-do lists of everyday work at home, at the office etc. which makes us anxious about completing the tasks on time. Following a daily routine makes things fall in place automatically at their set time, so we don't have to be worried about it anymore. For example, with the habit of brushing our teeth every night before going to bed, we don't have to remember it anymore. Our mind and body knows the time for a particular task. That’s how we feel more in control even about our petty issues and be relaxed.

 

Aids in self-care

When we make a daily routine, we know that giving time for self-care is of utmost importance. And we tend to make schedules for activities like, eating healthy, exercising, meditating, taking a walk etc. Taking out time for self-care on a daily basis comes so naturally to us. In other words, a daily routine enables us to cultivate positive daily habits naturally and build blocks of time for things like self-care that are important to us. 

 

Builds a sleep routine

Keeping our bedtime in check is very important. As building a sleeping routine is critical for our physical health, it becomes obvious to set our sleep-wake cycle at an appropriate time. A bedtime ritual signifies sending a signal to the body and mind to rest, so that we wake up fresh and energetic. 

 

Regularize physical fitness

The greatest barrier we face today, in terms of taking time out for exercising, is ‘not having enough time’. Most of us feel it is utterly difficult to have a morning exercise routine; women who have to get up early and prepare lunch for kids and family, people who have to rush to office early due to long distance everyday travel etc. can be some examples who don't have enough time to exercise early in the morning. And, when we do get time to exercise, it is just not suitable enough and effective for exercise. In short, we don't have a routine for exercise. Thus, having a daily routine becomes a necessity when we have to inculcate exercise into our lives as a good habit. 

 

Improves quality of life

As we develop and follow a daily routine and be in control of everything that we want to do in a day, our quality of life also tends to improve. We start valuing activities that make us feel good and relaxed like reading, listening to music, spending time with friends and family, taking a walk or as simple as playing with a pet. It is because of our daily routine and schedule that we are confident of including and enjoying leisure activities because we know that our time-table and our schedule will make things fall in place. 

 

So, in order to live an organized disciplined life, we’ve broken down the ideal daily routine into the most significant aspects of our life - Physical Fitness, Healthy Diet, Mental Health, Sleep, and Self-Care. If we keep these things in check, everything else in our lives that we whine about on a daily basis - our work, studies, productivity, success, happiness - will fall in their respective places. Relate these vital aspects of life to anything that you aspire for and you will know how critical it is to keep these in check. 

 

Did you just get the answer to why it is important to follow a daily routine?

 

You must have now realized that the predictability of a routine can certainly provide some comfort in an otherwise unpredictable world. All we have to do is be a little bit careful not to get so stuck in our routines that they start to cause stress and anxiety. As long as we’re finding our routines helpful and not harmful, and feel able to flex and change them as our life changes, they can be a great thing to build on and develop over time.

We leave with a wonderful thought that summarizes to ponder upon, “It's the certainty of our routine that can help us to manage the uncertainty that life can throw up.”