Supercharge Your Day with Intentional Routines
Ever find yourself meandering through a structureless day not sure what to do next? Then when you’ve finally decided what to do, you already feel tired just thinking about it? I sure have. That is until I learned about how powerful intentionally created routines can be for my productivity, health, and relationships.
I know, I know…routines sound pretty boring. But if you want to supercharge your days, I suggest taking a second look at crafting a powerful routine or two.
Most nights I can fall asleep within minutes of my head hitting the pillow and wrapping myself up in the blankets. Much to the consternation of my wife who takes a little while to settle into sleep, I’m next to her snoring away (she claims that I snore, but the jury is still out…okay, I snore). I’ve always been a morning person which means I generally prefer to go to bed earlier, but getting to sleep would sometimes be a challenge. That is until I began to practice a nighttime routine to fall asleep faster.
It took quite a bit of trial and error, but eventually, I began to build routines that worked pretty well. One of my main focuses was getting to sleep quickly and at a regular time so I could get enough sleep and still wake up early. I basically sleep trained myself much like a parent would a toddler (my wife’s description). Now, when I want to go to bed I have a specific set of actions that I do, in order, and by the end of these actions, even if I wasn’t particularly sleepy when I began, I am able to fall asleep quickly because I have cued my brain and body that it is time for bed.
What is a routine and why should we care about them?
A routine is a sequence of fixed actions that take place for a specific purpose(s) and either at a particular time of day or in response to specific cues. Routines can span a few minutes or an entire day and can be formed intentionally or accidentally. Depending on the purpose and context, routines can be beneficial, or not so beneficial. Additionally, intentionally designed routines have a psychological impact which can then affect our physiology as well.
The benefit of routines depends entirely on the set purpose. If someone’s nighttime routine is to exercise at 8 pm then have a meal of spicy food, washed down by a double-shot of espresso, that’s probably not a good routine if the purpose is to get a good night’s sleep. But let’s say the purpose is to stay awake through most of the night, then that routine is great for that purpose.
Context is your particular set of circumstances including work, family, goals, location, etc. that create a number of variables to whatever routine you’re making. My context is different from your context, so a beneficial routine for me might not be beneficial for you. To assess an existing routine or to create a new routine, we have to look at our own contexts to determine what set of behaviors are realistic and doable to create a beneficial routine.
Routines have an incredibly useful psychological effect that can help you to get into a particular state or frame of mind. Fans of the summer Olympic games may be familiar with images of Michael Phelps preparing for his races. In the warm-up pool, he performs the same number and type of laps. Then in the ready room, Phelps will have his headphones on listening to specific music. Finally, he’ll perform the same stretches behind the starting-block right before his race begins. All of these steps comprise a specifically designed routine to get him into a focused and clear mental state for his race. Considering Phelps success as a competitive swimmer, it is evident that his pre-race routine plays a notable role in his race.
Using a routine to get yourself into a specific state of mind also has physiological benefits as well. Using our earlier example: when Michael Phelps’s mental state shifts into race mode it also primes his muscle memory to perform the set of movements required in the race while causing his body to release certain hormones to help his performance. Or using a more accessible example, as I perform my nighttime routine my mind is telling my body that it is time to get into a restive sleep state and to release more melatonin so that I will fall asleep quickly and deeply.
Routines assist you in reducing decision fatigue. As you establish a routine it becomes habitual practice. Once your routine is a solid habit you no longer have to think about each step of it. You just perform each step after the other without having to make the conscious effort to decide to do it. Now you have freed up mental resources and energy for other decisions during the day while still attending to the important actions in your routine.
Now with our minds free from having to decide the next step, we are able to have greater focus and concentration for the task at hand. Like reducing decision fatigue, set routines allow you to execute each step of the process without having to consciously think about it. For example, fighter pilots do a pre-flight safety check of their aircraft prior to take off. To ensure they meticulously check every part of the plane these pilots follow the same routine when moving along the airframe, performing their inspection. This ensures they are able to concentrate on thoroughly examining every part of the aircraft without having to spend mental energy remembering what they need to inspect next. Similarly, I don’t have to think about when or what I’m going to write, in the morning when I sit down with my coffee all I have to do is open my laptop and start writing from wherever I left off the day before. Apart from planning days, my mind is free to focus on the writing instead of what I have to do next.
Routines for any lifestyle
Productivity routines are probably one of the most discussed categories of routines and often the most thought of. But routines can be tailored to any purpose and lifestyle. My routine in the morning is primarily focused on physical and mental health before I shift into productivity. Here are a few types of routines for any lifestyle:
Nighttime routines
Morning routines
Work routines
Exercise routines
Mental Health routines
Cooking/Meal prep routines
Social routines
Relationship routines (like weekly date night)
Learning routines
Knowing the importance of having routines does not mean that you necessarily have to fill your day to the brim with routine after routine after routine. Having a couple of routines that are intentionally designed can bring about the desired effect on your day and your goals. For myself, having a morning and an evening routine does wonders for my self-care, sleep cycle, and productivity while allowing me to spend my free time after work with my wife. These two main routines that I practice on a daily basis allow me to maintain a balanced lifestyle that suits my work, personal, and relationship goals.
Creating Your Own Routine
Again, your own routine can be for any purpose and time of the day. I recommend experimenting with a morning or evening routine simply because that’s when I’ve found them to be most helpful in my personal experience. But, you do what is going to work best for you. Use trial and error to home in on the actions that promote the purpose of your routine. Once those are set, continue to practice and adapt it as you go.
Below is a short checklist to help you get started on intentionally designing your routine:
- Set a purpose/intent of your routine.
- Decide what time of day would be best.
- Order all the tasks/actions (big and small).
- Practice routine.
- Assess and restructure if necessary.
- Practice daily.
These steps don’t necessarily have to be done in order, especially if you already have a routine that you are just modifying. The two most important steps are 1 and 4. If you have a purpose/intent, then start practicing the routine and work out the rest of the steps as you go. It’s important to take action and not get stuck in the planning stages. Routines are performed and I encourage you to start performing them so you can start reaping the intended benefits that follow.
Whether you are trying to start your day off with a routine to wake you up, an afternoon routine to re-energize yourself for the rest of work, a nighttime routine to help you wind down to deep restful slumber, or an exercise routine to get your body moving, get out there and supercharge your day with powerful routines.
