Morning and evening routines
What could your daily routine look like? Every person’s routine is completely different. We all have different time frames, schedules and demands. Your routine should be able to fit around these. For example, if you have children or pets, your day is likely to look very different to someone who does not. If you are retired your day will look different to someone who works full time.
The tips below are examples of things that people tend to have in their routine, they can be done in any order or replaced with other activities more relevant to your life.
Morning Routine
- There is a lot of research to suggest that the environment around you can vastly impact your mood. As such many people believe that making their bed is a productive way to start the day.
- Making breakfast. When we are juggling other demands, making breakfast can seem like the last thing on our mind. However, eating a healthy breakfast is important as it may increase our concentration, energy levels and productivity. Ensuring that you have enough water to drink should also be a priority.
- Next it may be time to get ready. You may choose to shower in the morning if you haven’t the evening before. After this, you may wish to get dressed. Brushing your hair, teeth or even washing your face can give you a confidence boost. In periods of high stress these can be things that we neglect.
- You may have prescribed medication that you take before the day starts and this should be included in your morning routine.
- Some people also find doing a morning meditation helpful before their day gets busy. These can give you five minutes or more of peace and quiet, creating time to reflect.
- Many people find that exercising in the morning beneficial as it gives them time to themselves before the day starts. If this is you, planning time into your morning to do some exercise could be beneficial for your wellbeing.
Evening Routine
- Firstly, try to switch of from the day. Whether you have been working, doing housework or have been consumed by the demands of life, it is important to switch off. Some people do this by watching their favourite tv programme or going for a walk. Do whatever works best for you!
- It could be useful to schedule some time into your routine to cook a meal. Doing this could improve your health as you will have more home cooked and less processed food.
- If you are able to do so, exercise can be helpful as the release of endorphins can improve your mood. It also has positive physical benefits on the body too. Sometimes we don’t get enough exercise in our day especially if we are sitting down most of the time. The evening can therefore be a good time to schedule in some exercise. However, be aware that if you do exercise too late in the day it can affect your ability to sleep.
- During the day, we can feel that we have little time to do things that we enjoy. The evening can be our chance to have a little bit of time for us. This could be meditating, watching a film, playing a game or doing some arts and crafts.
- You may have prescribed medication that you take in the evening which you will also need to fit into your schedule.
- Calming down before bed is also very important. It is recommended that you turn off electrical devices around an hour before you go to sleep. See the below video for some sleep tips.
Video
Watch the TED talk below which offers some tips on how to get a better nights sleep.