Routines are not for everyone. But I’m here today to argue that they probably should be. Creating routines that work well for you each day will help to stay on track and aligned with the people you connect with most often. That could be your significant other, your kids, your boss or your co-workers. Whatever the case, we’re going to dive in more about why routines are a healthy way to make things happen!  Let’s take a look a developing routines and what is sleep hygiene.

Why, Why, Why? Discovering Your Why

Let’s first talk about our “why.” Discovering your “why” can come in many different shapes. You may have several “whys” in your life, but right now let’s just turn our focus to your “why” when it comes to developing routines.

So, why did I decide to start implementing a morning and evening routine into my schedule? It’s mainly because I lack discipline when it comes to consistently doing something each day. Sure, I’ll make time for less important things, but so often we all put self-care on the back-burner.

Routines in the AM and PM help us to become more stable in our day overall. They give us structure, a beginning and end time, and allow us the time necessary to get ready for our day, but to wind down from it as well.

It is likely that you’ll have some trouble at first trying to get the best routine under way, but eventually, it will just make sense. Become second nature even. The best part about it all though is figuring out what works right for you. Then all you have to do is simply stick to it.

Get Outta Bed Girl

Are you a morning person? I never used to be. I hated early mornings and often went to bed at this time rather than getting up. Then I met someone that had the completely opposite schedule of mine. It made me realize that if I wanted to spend any time with my person that I better start doing some adjusting!

It was difficult at first. I’d have trouble going to sleep so early and getting up before it was light out. I thought about napping a hundred times throughout the day and staying up late to binge watch my favorite shows.

But then something just clicked.

It was like a new world had shown itself to me in the darkness of the morning. There was a certain peace I hadn’t noticed before that was in the silence of the pre-dawn hours. No birds chirping, no incoming notifications, no distractions from lawn mowers or kids coming off the school bus. Just silence. I started loving it.

Morning Routine…My Way

My morning routine these days follows a pretty similar path after waking up. However, I’m not one of those “jump out of bed immediately when the alarm goes off” kind of gals. (I’m looking at you Mel Robbins with your 5 Second Rule!) There is no way, no how, I’m leaving the comfy, warm but cool at the same time, good-smelling sheets that I’m wrapped up in with my dogs cuddling on both sides. I soak that in. For like, a solid 3-5 minutes…then I get myself into Go mode.

Once I’m out of bed, I’m pretty groggy until I get my eyeballs in. (That’s why I call my contacts). So I’ll wear my glasses to make sure I don’t add some new bruises while making my way to the bathroom. I wash my face with my favorite face wash, splash some cool water on, then wipe my face and neck down with a cold rag.

I really enjoy turning on a meditation or two, (I have a really great lightbulb that is also a speaker! So once I turn my lights on to set the chill mode, this plays through it). I’ll sit down and do some stretching after, then open up my journals to keep up with my gratitude and affirmations.

After that, I like to brew some green tea, and while the water boils I will throw a load of dishes and laundry in, to save time later on when I’m not so eager to do so. I recommend a light breakfast before returning to your zen space, (this is where I veg out for 10 minutes before getting into work).

The Challenge of Prioritizing Your Daily Routine

Prioritizing your daily routine above all else is challenging. Especially when you’re either always on the go or have a packed full schedule. I try not to let anxiety get to me when I don’t get everything finished at the end of the day. When I’m journaling in the morning, I’ll write down 3 sets of 3 goals I want to accomplish that day.

Here’s what they looked like for today:

Self

1. Meditate once
2. Stretch once
3. Run 1/2 mile outside with dogs

Home

1. Vacuum
2. Do laundry
3. Do dishes

Work

1. Create weekly content that’s due (videos/post)
2. Reach 2900 listings
3. Crosslist 5 listings to each platform

Of course, I did not get all of these finished, which is pretty common. I always strive to complete them all, but most often I’ll fall short by one or two. If this happens to you, just remember not to be too hard on yourself. We’re only human and things come up that push us behind a little. Which is totally okay! I plan on being here tomorrow, and I’m okay with putting my mental health first so that I can pump out those goals a little bit better as I forge ahead.

Saying No Was the Best Thing I Started to Ever Do

Isn’t it weird that nightly routines are a thing? As a teen, that seems to go out the window because of sports or schoolwork, family functions or friend dates. But if you think about it, we all start out with routines as children…we just forget that we have to keep up with them as adults.

My night routine consists of the following. I start out with setting boundaries, (which took a LONG time to master, and I’m still working on that. So don’t get discouraged if you’re still working on them, too!). Setting boundaries can be frustrating at first. Whether that be with your job or your friends, even your family, it’s hard to say no.

Saying no was the best thing I started to ever do. I became more aware of how much time I was wasting on others’ life goals, instead of my own. I began to realize how important my self-care was and how much I actually enjoyed being at home. Why was I spending all of my time away from it, I started to wonder?

Once that realization hit, I started to focus more on getting back to a night routine. After I set my clear boundaries, I added these things to my calendar as well. (You can use pen & paper if you’d like! But I actually prefer Google’s calendar, so that I can keep it with me 100% of the time).

What Works for Me….

I started using the tools provided on my phone to set timers on apps, to ensure I wasn’t spending an unnecessary amount of time on them. Sometimes I’ll run a bath and add some epsom salts to help my muscles to recover from the workouts during the week. After that, I like to take a shorter evening walk with my husband and dogs to get some fresh air before or after dinner.

If you’re looking for a good app to help you stay mindful, I recommend checking out Mantra. It’s affordable and continues to help me immensely when I’m having a not so great day.

We typically try to tag-team household chores so neither one of us get overwhelmed, so he might tackle vacuuming while I crank out dinner for us both. Then I’ll set up the bedroom with an aromatherapy salt lamp (it’s probably the best invention, ever!), and spray some lavender on the bedspread.

I’ll brush my teeth and wash my face again before heading to my side of the bed, glasses on and ready to read! I recommend keeping your book, any journals you prefer using at night, (I like to write down 3 things that I accomplished that day), and anything else you require to wind down before bed on your nightstand. I’ve noticed that I’m much better at completing my full routine if what I need is actually in front of me and ready!

I’m currently reading “Becoming Supernatural: How Common People Are Doing the Uncommon” by Dr. Joe Dispenza. It’s mind blowing and beautiful.

We prefer to leave the music off some nights, but most times we’ll set a timer for 1 hour and drift off to some soundscapes or meditation music. I’ve recently discovered as well how to schedule my HVAC so that it gets a little cooler in the evening. It’s been working really well for us to actually get a full night of sleep without waking up sweaty or tossing and turning.

Which is why sleep hygiene is oh so important, my friends!

More Habitual Balance: Why I Chose Courage & It’s Endless Reservations

What is Sleep Hygiene?