Building healthy daily routines

The relevance:

A healthy routine plays a major role in maintaining a stable mood, regulating stress and preventing health morbidities. We live in an extremely fast paced world with an entire ecosystem at an instant click of our hands. Every job has its unique challenges, affecting one’s health in novel ways that are yet to be discovered. In this dog eat dog economy, having a familiar and a previously proven healthy daily routine helps provide a sense of comfort reducing the risks of deteriorating health. 

Effects on body:

Healthy daily routines can be vital to maintain overall well being, and give structure to one's life. Routines such as waking and sleeping at an allotted time can regulate healthy cortisol levels which reduce stress levels, control excessive hormonal fluctuation there by benefiting overall health. Routines foster predictability that cuts anxiety by 20-30%, improves sleep quality for better emotional regulation, and boosts endorphins via movement and nutrition, directly countering issues like PMS mood swings or postpartum fatigue. Better sleep quality is also shown to improve focus and help in daily decision making. Having a set structured morning while practising morning mindfulness, may show several mental health pros. Evening journaling enhances serotonin and resilience, lowering depression risk amid India's high female stress rate.  They build self-efficacy, helping women set boundaries in conflicts and maintain energy. Over months, routines compound into habits that elevate overall well-being, reducing healthcare needs and enhancing relationships through sustained positivity. 

How to build routines:

Making major changes in one’s routine can be overwhelming and it might be a way to set yourself up for failures. Which can put you in a vicious cycle of procrastination and no visible willingness to change. Start slow, make tiny changes, adopt one habit every week. Being consistent and disciplined is more important. Aiming for perfection shouldn't be a goal, greatness or glory isn't achieved due to perfection it comes from discipline. Plan first, record your challenges, unhealthy patterns, and strategies to reduce these patterns. Ask for help, it's safer to hold yourself accountable with the help of friends or partners going through similar struggles. That being said, shaming yourself constantly isn't the answer either, be kind if it's extremely overwhelming. It's better to make changes in your environment, cut out temptations and distractions. Keep a track of your progress, on a sad day it's easier to wallow in self pity and fall into the loop of self destruction hence it's necessary to keep track of your good days. Make time for your creative hobbies, it's a healthier way for that dopamine rush, not with the intention of capitalising on them later but for sheer joy. Be sure to reward yourself, if you're eating clean, give yourself that break to eat some calories on the weekend, if you're reading regularly, it's perfectly fine to pick up a fantasy novel once in a while. Try to be patient, changes do not occur overnight, it takes time and an ample amount of patience. Cut yourself some slack on difficult days, try to keep finding a balance.