change your health with one single habit

Our minds and bodies think in patterns! We are constantly looking for ways to follow a pattern or get into a rhythm, but it can be hard to connect the feeling back to our daily lives without some focus on what exactly is happening.

Creating a new habit is HARD! Life throws us all sorts of crazy twist and turns trying to hold us back. Our own self doubts hold us back.

But one baseline habit vital to develop is creating a daily routine in your life! A series of things you are going to get done no matter whether you are home or away.

What’s in a Habit?

Habits are the things that govern our days. Everything has a pattern, even the most menial of tasks you do throughout the day.

You might be in a habit of how you do the dishes, how you process information at work, or how you handle stress by biting your fingernails.

All of those habits are simply a part of our daily life and how we do things.

Morning Routine

Creating a new habit for your morning routine can be difficult. After all, there’s nothing quite like sleeping in and snoozing the day away!

A morning routine sets the tone for the rest of your day. You’ve probably seen articles saying the most successful people in the world wake up at 4 a.m. and go to bed by 9 p.m. While it might not be the exact times that are the key (I’m a wake up with the sun sort of person myself ~ and that definitely isn’t 4am), but there’s something to be said for their routines!

Start by choosing a wake-up time that allows for 8 full hours of sleep every night. It is critical to understand that 8 hours in bed isn’t 8 hours of sleep. By being in bed for 8 hours you will most likely get 7 -7 1/2 hours of sleep, which is ideal. Set your alarm and stick to it! It took me awhile to establish a routine like this. I went years and years “surviving” on 4-5 hours of sleep and convincing myself I was thriving. Now - I go to bed somewhere between 9-10 and wake up between 6-6:30 with no alarm clock ever set. Let me tell you - It feels amazing! So I’m challenging you to not hit the snooze button every five minutes until you’ve overslept, again. Been there - done that!

Once you are up, get moving right away. Spend time doing some yoga or going for a walk to help get the blood flowing throughout your body and kick start the day. I have a series of stretches I do every single morning, and the great thing is I can do them even when traveling.

Breakfast is really dependent on you and how your body functions best. Some would say it is the most important meal of the day, but if you are doing intermittent fasting then eating right away might not be the best for you. I personally drink a glass of water right after waking up, but my first meal is a protein shake following my mid morning workout. It works for me. I can not stress the importance of you finding what works for you. The key is to make sure everything you eat throughout the day is packed with nutrients and allows you to feed your body and gives you energy for the day.

Finish up your new morning routine by drinking a little more water and planning out the rest of your day. Write down any goals you want to accomplish, and any hurdles you need to overcome, and set them aside so you can check back in with them later and see what you accomplished! Starting the day with a plan will help you keep stress at bay.

It can seem like a lot when you look at each step individually, but putting it all together is quite simple. You may have to get up a little earlier than you normally would but allowing your mind and body time to create this new routine will have you creating highly successful days consistently instead of at random.

Daily Routine

The habits that govern your daily routine whether it is at work or working from home or caring for the kids, parents, or pets tends to create their own rhythm. There are a few things you can do to help keep this daily routine in line and continue to be successful!

Make consistent breaks a habit as often as possible every day. This time away from your computer allows your eyes to rest and your brain to think about other things for a short period of time. Set a timer and every hour get up and move, walk around, grab a glass of water for even just a minute.

Taking time away from your computer throughout the day and structuring those times so you get the most out of the break. Our eyes and minds can become overworked throughout the work day and need that time away. The same goes for your phone! If you are busy at work or staying at home your hand picks up that phone more often than you imagine. Taking dedicated breaks from technology throughout the day will help your mind relax and refocus.

Don’t forget to feed your body well too! Take healthy snacks to work or take time out of the day to make some at home.

Nightly Routine

The key component of your successful and healthy life is the type of nighttime routine you build. While your morning routine sets the tone for the day, your nightly routine is the key to your health and wellness.

Sleep is one of the most important factors of health! When you sleep, your body resets and recharges, wiping the slate clean for the start of the next day. You heal, repair damage, and build in new levels of energy.

Create your nighttime routine with plenty of time built into it so you get a full 8 hours of quality sleep each night. Start with the basics of washing your face, brushing your teeth, and getting into your pajamas.

Spend time journaling about the day, writing out how the day went, what went well, what might have gone better, and setting goals for the next day. Or if you don’t enjoy writing, simply sitting in your thoughts and reflecting on all of those things might be best for you.

Put aside technology and choose a book, audiobook or podcast, or just some simple white noise to fall asleep to. Make sure the room is at a comfortable temp and drift off to dreamland!

Takeaway

Creating a new routine or habit can be hard, but once you get started, you’ll see differences and changes you never could have imagined! I’m still working to improve my night routine, and it has taken some time to get to a good place where I am really starting to feel the benefits. And I see it too with the sleep tracker on my apple watch and can not highly recommend enough if you are struggling with sleep. Tracking is an incredible way to see what you are doing to your body (both bad and good) and when you start to see the shift to the good it is more motivating than ever to keep improving. To learn more about the 7 Habits for a Lifetime, click here to download my free guide!

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