We’re all creatures of habit, and most routines offer structure which can curb anxiety and stress.  It’s important to incorporate them into your personal, relationship, and career goals. The hard part is taking a healthy routine habit and making it unhealthy.  We’re going to share some healthy routines to have, and which ones to avoid. Healthy Routine Habits to Form Most routines are important to incorporate into your daily schedule to offer better structure. These are some important ones: Form a better sleep routine. Go the bed the same time every night and wake up at the same time each morning. It will improve the quality of sleep you get. You can also improve your morning energy if wake up early enough to eat a proper breakfast.

• Carve out at least 30 minutes a day to exercise. Try to mix it up between strengthening exercises and cardio. Exercise is good for your physical and mental well-being, especially if you work out with others.
• Do chores around your house on schedule. This will make it easier once you know items like mopping can be done on Saturday but dishes get done daily after dinner.
• Make time to really listen to others. Schedule family dinners at home at least twice a week,  since these are becoming such a rarity.
• Schedule some time just for you each day, whether it’s to read a chapter in a current novel, do some yoga, or take a hot bath with a glass of wine. Daily decompression is needed.

Unhealthy Routine Habits to Avoid Sometimes we overdo it, and take a healthy daily habit and make it excessive, which stresses us out again. These are some classic examples:

• Going overboard with your to-do lists-Having a to-do list helps you stay organized and get things done. However, when you put too many items on it and obsess over it, it becomes counterproductive.
• Running on autopilot- How often do we drive the same route without paying attention to where we’re really going or appreciating the nature around us? We often rush through our day distracted without connecting with nature or others.
• Binge-watching a TV series- While we often turn on the television to relax and decompress, doing it for too long can be harmful. If you binge watch the TV for several hours, you’ll start to get stressed about the things you should be doing.

Why Routines are So Important Routines are very important because they provide needed structure in our lives and help us curb anxiety. If you need help establishing a healthy routine, please contact us at 510-914-8245.