Daily Routines: And Why You Need One

I remember the day I realized I needed a daily routine..I was sitting at my desk at school and was trying to figure out why I was still there at 6 pm. Fast forward to the next week and I had a whole system in place to make sure that I was leaving at a decent time.

As teachers, we all know that students thrive in a structured daily routine but when was the last time you focused on your own daily routine? There are a number of reasons why adults benefit from having a daily routine. Does your morning and nightly routine change depending on how you're feeling each day? Most grownups “wing it” when it comes to their own schedules. This can lead us to feeling overwhelmed, anxious and stressed.

There is no “one size fits all” daily routine. It's important to take the time to figure out what works best for you and your needs. You might be thinking but how do I know what I need? In order to figure that out, you're going to have to do some work. Are you ready?! I promise it's not hard..

Why You Need a Daily Routine

Here are 10 reasons you need to implement a solid daily routine:

1. You'll be more efficient.
2. You will have less stress, anxiety and feelings of overwhelm.
3. It creates structure and eliminates our need to “plan” all the time.
4. It saves us time in the long run..
5. You will see improved focus.
6. It will help you develop healthier habits.
7. It will help you prioritize your activities.
8. Let's you get better sleep.
9. Your overall health will thank you.
10. You will be less likely to burnout.

Finding a Routine that Works

I used to view having a routine as being boring and I am sure that many people share that same thinking. On the contrary, I have found that by having a routine, I actually have more freedom. I'm also way more productive when I follow a routine.

Here are 3 steps for finding a routine that works for you:

1. Track your days. Start by writing down the activities you do throughout the day and how they make you feel. (This is the hardest thing I will make you do.. not too bad, huh?)
2. Classify those activities as ones you have to do and ones you don't
3. Choose the activities that brought you joy from you “don't have to” list. You might also want to brainstorm ideas of other possible activities that would boost your mood/productivity and add them to it. ie- if you are easily frustrated with how your skin looks, maybe you want to add skincare to your daily routine or if spending time on social media every night makes you frustrated and anxious before bed- don't do it.

Once you have those, you can play around with how you want your day to look. Give it some time and see exactly what you like and don't like about your routine. That's the beauty of this, it's yours and you can organize it however you like! If you find something isn't working any more, change it up..

If you are looking for more support for creating a work/life balance, be sure to check out these two posts:

Have you heard about my membership that focuses on supporting teachers in their journey to finding a work/life balance? Be sure to check it out here!