9 Healthy Everyday Routines

You Can Add to Your Life Today

routine
  1. Mental Wellness
  2. »
  3. 9 HEALTHY EVERYDAY ROUTINES

Healthy everyday routines can include routines to help you eat better, sleep better, be more mindful, and so much more! In today’s blog post we are going to focus on 3 categories; ways to eat healthy, keeping a workout routine, and mindful routines.

This blog COULD just say, wake up early, eat healthy, workout, etc. But instead we are going to focus on HOW to add these routines to your daily lives, making the helpful facts on why they are good routines actionable.

Healthy Eating

Eat Breakfast

Why is eating breakfast important?

  • Kick starts your metabolism to help get your burn on early.
  • Wakes up the brain and provides it with the much needed glucose to function at its best.
  • Helps you meet your recommended daily intakes of vitamins and minerals.
  • Keeps your intestines functioning and keeps you regular.
  • Helps you make better food choices later because you won’t be overly hungry when a temptation strikes.

Ways to Make it a Routine

  • Have a consistent wake time, this will help train the body to know when food is coming. For those that don’t “feel hungry” in the morning, this can help increase that appetite.
  • Make your breakfast the night before. Things like overnight oats or mini quiches can be prepared the night before so that they are ready and available when you rise.
  • Find something you love to eat. Sometimes you just have to have an interesting breakfast choice to get you intrigued about eating breakfast each morning. Find a healthy recipe that makes you excited about breakfast.

Bring Snacks

Why is it a good idea to have healthy snacks on hand?

  • No excuses to eat something bad. You have a healthy option right in your pocket, so eat that instead.
  • Curbs your appetite when on the go and decreases the chances of stopping for fast food or buying way too many unnecessary groceries at the store.
  • Snacking on good foods throughout the day is a healthy way to keep your metabolism going and your blood sugar at a steady level.

Ways to Make it a Routine

  • Find healthy snacks that don’t make a mess: things like dried fruits, freeze dried fruits (for that crunch), nuts, veggies that are good alone (carrots, snap peas, peppers).
  • Start bringing a bag if you don’t already. Get yourself a fancy purse, briefcase, backpack, or hip pouch so that you can stash snacks in there.
  • Focus on recognizing the signs your body gives when you’re hungry: do you get hangry? Do you get tired? Maybe your tummy talks to you…

Drink Water

Why is drinking water important?

We could go on and on all day about the importance of drinking water. So we’ll just mention a few that maybe you haven’t heard recently.

  • Reduce headaches! Heat especially can increase dehydration and give you a headache fast. Avoid the headache by drinking water all day.
  • Eat less food. Oftentimes people misjudge thirst for hunger and eat food instead of simply sipping on some H2O.
  • Increase brain function. Your brain works by sending electrical pulses and these electric pulses work so much better if the brain is well hydrated. (that’s my super simplified version of a concept that is MUCH more scientific and intense. Just FYI.)

How to Make it a Routine?

  • Make yourself a fun water bottle that has time of day and drink goals right on it.
  • Find a water bottle that keeps your water cold all day! You are so much more likely to drink nice refreshingly cold water than you are to drink warm water.
  • Set a timer on your watch, every 15 – 30min you take another big drink of water.
  • Find a flavor additive you like! There’s nothing wrong with enhancing your water to make it more delightful.

Healthy Body

Set a Fitness Goal

Why is it important to set a goal?

  • Goals keep you on track
  • Make the workout efficient
  • Helps allow you to track and see progress
  • Keeps you motivated to continue working hard

How to Make Goal Setting a Routine?

  • Work with a coach on setting goals and formulating a plan.
  • Find a goal setting journal that can help you set and track goals and progress.
  • Find an app that helps you set and track goals and goal progress.

Wake & Sleep on a Schedule

Why is it important to have a sleep schedule?

How to make this a routine?

  • Create a wake schedule – figure out the time to have your alarm go off, what you immediately do when you wake up, and what you do in that first hour of being awake.
  • Create a nighttime schedule – figure out the time you want to get to bed, what all needs to happen before bed, and how early you need to begin your nighttime schedule.
  • Use alarms and alerts to help get the routine started.

Get At-Home Options

Having at-home exercise options is important because:

  • It removes excuses on a day you can’t make it to the gym.
  • It provides more options and opportunities for a workout that won’t bore you.
  • It allows you to stay home with children and pets if needed.
  • It provides you a judgement free area to do the moves you may feel less comfortable doing in public.

How to make at-home options a routine:

  • In your goal setting and plan creations, include an at-home option on days you know it may be a possibility.
  • Add your at-home workout to your wake schedule mentioned above – set it as one of the items to do within the first hour you are awake.

 

Healthy Mind

Find a Hobby

Why is it important to have a hobby?

  • It builds confidence.
  • It’s a great way to find friends.
  • It helps you find enjoyment in something entirely for yourself.

How to include hobbies in your routine?

  • Include a hobby as part of your “me time” each day or week.
  • Find a hobby that integrates into your daily life or job. For instance: finding a hobby of digital illustration which is something you could use as a blogger or marketer.

Get Outside

Why is it important to get outside?

  • Fresh air can help rejuvenate a tired mind and body.
  • Vitamin D comes from the sun and is a required vitamin for the body.
  • It has been shown that taking a walk in nature can help decrease blood pressure.
  • Being outside helps put the body in motion; there are no computers or screens to sit in front of so people tend to walk and wander.

How to Make Getting Outside Part of Your Routine?

  • Choose to workout outside. Running, weight lifting, (TRX), cycling, swimming, and so much more can all be done outside.
  • Find a buddy that also enjoys being outside. Plan a day or two a week to get together and go out.

 

Mindfulness Routine

Mindfulness is maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of thoughts, feelings, sensations, and environment. This can be done through meditation, stretching, and more.

Why is it important to be mindful?

  • It can heighten happiness, patience, acceptance, and compassion.
  • It lowers stress, frustration, and sadness.

How to add mindfulness to your routine?

  • Include it in your bedtime or wake time routine.
  • Add it to the end of a workout – meditate while stretching, or cooling down outside.

 

Ready to set some new goals and get started on everyday routines to make your life healthier?

Get Started With a Coach!
Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com is licensed by CC 3.0 BY

Post Author

Nicole Hillstead-Jones

RRCA Certified Coach & Nutrition Minor

Facebook Instagram Envelope