Do you have a hard time getting organized? Maybe you forget some appointments or are chronically late, even to important events. I’ve been there – a lot of us have. It’s difficult to take that first step to getting ourselves better organized and prepared to take on each day.
Why does this matter, though? Well – there are plenty of reasons, of course. It gives us more time in a day for one thing, but there is a lot more, too. If you retain best by writing, something like a calendar for your desk can aid in this. Let me show you five reasons why you should consider making a routine for yourself!
It Helps us Anchor Ourselves
I know it’s not something that everyone experiences, but sometimes I feel like I am almost watching a movie of my own life rather than living it. I like having my own personal routine because it helps to anchor me in reality. Having things that I can count on for comfort and stability like having lunch at the same time every day helps with this.
There will always be events or circumstances that we cannot predict or control. So, when you exercise your ability to control what you can, you will be better prepared to conquer what is thrown your way. It takes awhile to firmly establish a schedule and stick to it, but the work to do so is well worth it in the end.
It Encourages Self-Care
In the hustle and bustle of each day, it can be easy to let our self-care practices fall by the wayside. Crafting a routine for yourself can help you to form habits like taking care of yourself that will become ingrained into your mind. Some examples of this might be simple, like taking a shower or brushing our teeth.
However, adding something like pampering yourself with products for your skin or hair can act as a sort of reward for getting through the day, if you plan it right. By creating a sort of positive feedback loop, you are cementing patterns of accomplishing things and enjoying the benefits of it via a relaxing end to your day.
While you might not specifically write out each step of this in a calendar, planning each hour of your day for a few weeks as you get accustomed to the change can keep you on track. It might seem overboard, but it’s not!
It Can Encourage Better Sleep Habits
This one might seem surprising. As a serious insomniac, finding a sleep schedule that works for me has been incredibly difficult throughout my life. How did setting a routine help me, though?
One critical part of this is to establish a time that you wake up from bed and a time that you go to sleep. You should plan your days around these set points. While you might not fall asleep at exactly that time for the first few weeks, eventually your brain will get used to laying down and shutting all the lights off, allowing you to get rest more easily.
Another aspect that could help here is to plan your screen time accordingly. The blue lights from screens hamper our ability to get to sleep. Having your phone in bed isn’t great (I’m totally guilty of it sometimes). If you set a time about thirty minutes to an hour before you lay down, your eyes get some time to rest from the lights.
What I try to do before bedtime is read a book. Yes – a paper book. Since I get sucked into new ones so easily, I usually go with something I’m already familiar with, so I’m not tempted to stay up late to continue with the story. Just try to find what works for you!
It Can Support Better Health and Lifestyles
While sleep patterns are included in this category to some extent, I feel I should give a bit more information on this as well. When you’re creating your routine, maybe even using a calendar like the ones you see here, https://www.calendarcompany.com/desk-calendars.html, you can prioritize your own personal values.
Hopefully, you consider your health to be important. This includes both physical and mental wellness – don’t let the latter get ignored! Make time in your days to exercise or meditate. Eat a nutritious breakfast like fruit or oatmeal. Take a walk or go to the gym.
If you struggle with mental health, the very act of having a stable routine can often help. It’s easy to feel lost or like our tasks are too monumental to achieve. By breaking them down into manageable parts and achieving a little bit each day, our stress levels will decline.
Taking care of yourself in multiple ways is an important part of making a routine that we shouldn’t ignore. While it’s tempting to skip that workout or even a session of therapy, it’s best not to do so.
It Lets You Work Towards Your Goals
Here’s what we’ve been heading towards this entire time – this is perhaps the biggest reason why you should consider organizing yourself and making a schedule! No matter what your goals are, you can strive for them better by doing this. Even for the smallest or largest of things!
If you’re looking to get better about being on time to appointments, having them written down in an easily accessible place is beneficial. A lot of us learn better when we write things down, so it can help you retain that information better than just putting it into your phone. We often forget the benefits of a pen and paper.
It might not be a necessity, but it is something I recommend trying out for yourself. There are really no negatives to setting a routine for yourself, unless you fall into a bunch of bad habits. Be mindful each day and do your best to reinforce those positive actions and hobbies, and you won’t regret it!