Routines are important and beneficial no matter what you do for a living. They provide a sense of comfort and security and can help with stress management. If you’re trying to boost your productivity, developing a healthy routine is one of the best ways to make it happen. Routines that allow you to flow easily from one task to the next, create structure and can make it easier to stick to healthy habits.

(This is a guest post by Katie Brenneman. Thank you Katie for writing this for me.)

Often, a lack of productivity stems from boredom or distraction. Without a routine, it’s easy to fall into those traps. You might wonder what you should be doing next, or you might struggle with a lack of motivation to get started on something new.

When everything is structured and laid out in front of you, you’ll be less likely to fall into those distractions and more likely to stay on track.

So, what can you do to develop a daily routine that improves your productivity while supporting your overall health and well-being?

Start Your Day the Right Way

One of the best things you can do for your health and productivity is to [establish a strong morning routine]. There’s no ideal routine you have to follow — it’s about discovering what works for you. However, if you’re having trouble starting off on the right foot, consider including some of the following in your morning to foster healthy habits:

• Wake up at the same time each day

• Stretch

• Meditate

• Journal

It’s also important to [eat a healthy, energising breakfast]. Even if you have a daily schedule written out and you have the best of intentions, you’re more likely to fall short if you run out of energy halfway through the morning. Try something like overnight oats, a smoothie, or homemade cereal to jumpstart your mind and body.

You can also give yourself a boost of energy in the morning by exercising. You don’t have to go to the gym every day or commit to an hour of working out. However, going for a walk around the neighbourhood or working out for 30 minutes at home will help to improve your mood and your focus throughout the day, so you can stay on track.

Focus On Time Management

Distractions are some of the biggest productivity killers. Unfortunately, we live in a world full of them. As a result, time management has become more importantthan ever, especially when you’re trying to stick to a schedule and get things done.

Getting into a routine can make it easier to manage your time because you’ll waste less of it. You’ll know what you have to do each day and the timeframes in which you have to do it. Creating a daily schedule and sticking to it is one of the best ways to stay focused and stop paying attention to distractions.

With that in mind, make sure you’re making frequent breaks a part of your daily routine. While it’s hard to think that breaks and productivity go hand-in-hand, they’re more closely linked than you might realise.

Taking breaks throughout the day will help to boost your energy and give you a few moments to re-focus. Staring at a computer or sitting at a desk all day with no breaks will actually make you more susceptible to distractions, and can end up causing you to feel burnt out.

Maintain Healthy Habits

You can’t be productive if you aren’t healthy. Practicing self-care every day should become a habit. That includes taking care of both your physical and mental health. While we already touched on the importance of eating a healthy breakfast and exercising, that’s only the beginning.

Focusing on healthy habits each day includes things like preparing healthy meals, stepping away from social media, and spending time outside. Even taking time each day to take any medications you might be prescribed can be considered a form of self-care. When you make things like that a part of your routine, they become “second nature,” and you won’t have to think about them, but you’ll still be able to enjoy the benefits.

It’s also essential to form healthy habits when it comes to your mental well-being. Some of the best self-care additions to your regular routine might include things like

• Finding an exercise program that’s fun and exciting

• Getting together with friends

• Taking a class you’re interested in

• Going to a local park

• Reading a good book

There’s no “ideal” way to practice self-care, but remind yourself regularly that it’s far from selfish, and can end up improving your focus, clearing your mind, and improving your productivity.

If you don’t already have a daily routine in place, it’s never too late to put one together. Think about what works for you, adjust things as needed, and you might be surprised by how much more you can accomplish in a day when you’re following a habitual schedule.

Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specialising in lifestyle, mental health, education, and fitness-related content. When she isn’t writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. To connect with Katie, you can follow her on Twitter.

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