11 Daily Routines You Should Have To Protect Your Sanity
There’s no denying that life is stressful. Whether you’re a student, a professional, a mom, or any combination of those three (plus a million other things), there are lots of things to juggle at once. When there’s so much going on, it is important to establish daily routines.
Here are my top eleven daily routines that will help you protect your mental health in this busy world!
1. Make Your Bed
This is a small, quick step you can take at the beginning of every single day to make your room feel more organized.
I personally get stressed out when my room or house feels dirty or unorganized. Taking just two minutes every morning to make my bed makes me feel way more in control.
It’s usually not very pretty, to be honest. I just pulled the sheets up, straighten out the comforter a little bit, and toss the pillows up by the headboard. But it’s better than nothing and makes me feel like I have my life together.
2. Practice Yoga
We’ve shouted the praises of yoga many times here at Miss Millennia because we love it! I find so much peace and balance when I hop on the mat even for a quick five-minute sequence. If you’re a dedicated yogi, maybe an hour-long, muscle-shaking class is better for you.
Yoga helps you get your thoughts lined up and tackle the day with a clear mind.
Yoga is all about finding what’s right for you and your body. Luckily, with Yoga Download, you can find the perfect online class. No matter how long you want to practice or what level of rigor you need, Yoga Download has a class for you. Get started now!
3. Read
Reading is usually the first thing to go when life starts getting busy. Why is that? As a huge bookworm, I love reading and find myself so relaxed when I’m lost in a good book. And yet reading always gets pushed to the side in the hustle and bustle of life! If you can, carve out just 5 or 10 minutes every day to get through a chapter or two. Getting lost in the world of your characters helps you forget about your own, amirite?
There are so many ways to read, including ebooks, audiobooks, and “real” books. I love my Kindle
, which allows me to download ebooks straight from Amazon. The amazing thing about the newest Kindle is that the reading experience is just like real paper. Check it out!
Audiobooks are another great way to read. They allow you to enjoy a good book in the car, while you work out, or on a walk. With an Audible, you have access to more audiobooks than you’ll ever be able to read! Plus, with their membership, you get even more perks. Learn more by clicking below!
However, there’s nothing quite like flipping through the real pages of a book. I can quite literally spend hours wandering around a bookstore trying to find the perfect book. Or, you can shop online! Get started now.
4. Use Essential Oils
I have just recently gotten into essential oils. As a complete newbie, I like the pre-mixed blends that take the guessing out of it. It’s especially nifty when they’re labeled as “sleep,” “focus,” or whatever else you might need.
While I haven’t been using them long enough to say if they absolutely have changed my life, they certainly smell nice and help me unwind from the craziness of life. If you’re a newbie like me, start learning about essential oils with our article 11 Ylang Ylang Essential Oil Benefits You Can Enjoy.
5. Delete Emails
I am the queen of having 2,984 unread e-mails in my inbox. When you give out your e-mail address to every company for a 15% off coupon, the spam piles up! Take some time every day to delete all those spammy, unread e-mails, and unsubscribe from ones you don’t care about. There’s nothing like a clean, uncluttered inbox to make you feel totally zen.
6. Practice Self Care
Taking a few minutes every day (or even once a week) will make you feel so much better. Paint your nails a pretty shade of pink, find a firming face mask that you like, pluck your eyebrows, slather on some good body butter, or do whatever else makes you feel like a queen. I live for the nights when I’ve got enough time to take a hot shower and then spend some time with a green mask all over my face catching up on The Bachelor.
7. Write Things Down in Your Planner
My world literally crumbles when I don’t faithfully use my planner. Recently I’ve been totally slacking on my planner and I can tell! I’ve been missing deadlines, forgetting to e-mail people back….I’m a hot mess!
Taking a quick second every day to add new things to your planner, cross off completed items, and take notes will save you a world of heartache and make you feel so organized.
I would 10/10 recommend a physical paper planner for this instead of using an app. We already have so many apps and notifications on our phones, do you really think a planner app is going to be able to cut through the noise? Get used to using a physical planner and you’ll never go back!
The Productivity Planner: If you are tired of spinning your wheels during the day, I highly recommend the productivity planner. It helps you focus on your most important tasks for the day and keep your other tasks in focus as well. Created by the same people who created the Five Minute Journal it is designed with your success in mind.
8. Journal
In the same vein as using a planner is journaling. This one will be especially helpful when trying to slow down the swirling vortex of life. Five minutes spent before bed writing down your thoughts and feelings will help you work through your problems.
The Five Minute Journal: I am a huge fan of the five-minute journal. It only takes a few minutes a day to write out your intentions your gratitude and your goals for that particular day. I especially look forward to opening my journal at the end of each day and writing out and reflecting on how my day went. The Five Minute Journal is set up in a way to ensure that you are happier more successful and overall more intentional about your day.
Plus most of the time we have all kinds of thoughts in our brains that aren’t actually doing us any favors. Getting those thoughts out of your brain and onto paper frees up space for all the important thoughts you need to think! Think of your journal as your Pensieve, if you will (where my Harry Potter crew at?!).
9. Move Around
I think we can all agree that physical activity makes you feel better and calmer. If you can, get up and make a lap around your office once per hour. Those of you with activity trackers probably already get your hourly reminders to get up and get moving.
If you don’t have an activity tracker like a Fitbit, take it upon yourself to at least spend five minutes or so each hour walking around or at the very least, standing up at your desk.
Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your body. It lowers stress, helps you sleep better, and keeps weight gain at a minimum. How do I know all of this? My Fitbit told me!
Okay true story, I have been a raving Fitbit fan for the last 5 years or so. So much that even though I am also an Apple fan, I would never exchange my Fitbit for an Apple watch. Here is why.
They have amazing customer service. So if anything goes wrong with your watch they have your back. And the new ones track EVERYTHING! Your sleep, heart rate, different kinds of exercise, weight loss, your water intake, count your calories, and for ladies, it even tracks your menstrual cycle. You can even talk to Alexa on the thing!
10. Do All the Dishes in the Sink
Oh, dishes in the sink. My archenemy. As much as I despise doing dishes, I despise dishes in the sink even more. I feel like my life is spiraling out of control when I walk through the kitchen and see the dishes piled up. Before I go to bed, I at least have to do the dishes. If they pile up in the dish drainer and don’t get dried or put away, fine. But they’ve got to be out of the sink. Try it for a week and I promise you’ll never feel more peaceful than when you wake up in the morning to an empty sink.
11. Get Ready for the Next Day
I have to be at work Monday-Friday at 7 am so this step is crucial for me. But truthfully, even if I didn’t have to be at work so early, I’d probably still do this. Each night right before bed (and after the dishes!), set out your outfit for the next day, pack your lunch, and put your keys and purse by the door. First of all, maybe you can set your alarm 5 minutes later. Second of all, it will just help you feel sane in the morning because you won’t be digging through your closet trying to find the right shirt. Trust me.
So, yeah, life is stressful. But some mindful daily routines will you help slow it all down and feel so much more centered. What are your favorite daily routines to stay sane? Let us know down below!
this is fantastic! Deleting my emails seriously makes the biggest difference for me lol there is nothing like seeing that cleared out inbox!
Yes!! I’ve found pilates everyday works for me – even if it’s just 10min workout.
I’ve been totally overwhelmed and I think I need a planner (#7). Such helpful tips!
I do use essential oils, but I have to learn to practice yoga. I know it is good for me, I just have to start!
I did everything but journalism, I just think I am not a type for it (of may be that’s the aftermath of trauma from my whole family reading my private diary when I was little). And yes all of this points are making me feel collected and happy. And also running, I can skip yoga but running is my real fuel
Especially on these pandemic times, these daily routines are surely applicable to keep ourselves sane! Thanks for the tips here 🙂
These are very good tips, especially for teenagers nowadays. Making your bed in the morning is one of the simple tips I learned, and from then on I learn the valuable meaning of it.
Self-care is very important!