Reliable Routines That You’ll Love for Back to School

Routines are so important to have to keep organized, especially when back to school is right around the corner (now here haha). As a very organized and planner kind of person I live by my routines, and did while I was in school also. So whether you’re in high school, college or no school at all, routines will help keep, at least some aspects, of your life coordinated and running smoothly. 

The great thing about routines is there are so many different kinds that you can fit into your life based on your needs and wants. To be completely honest, routines can be hard to arrange into your life when you aren’t used to them or used to certain ways. However, once you get going and find what works best for you it’ll become like you’ve always been doing it. Plus, the benefits of having a routine will be well worth it.

But first, why are routines so important?

Routines are so crucial in life to make things easier for you. They help keep you organized and grounded. For many, routines help people relieve stress because they have a habit that they know and don’t need to think about (More on that in an up and coming article!) 

Even as an adult I feel this. When I am stressed or worked up about something, my everyday or weekly routines help me calm down and focus on what I’m actually doing and not what’s in my head. 

Now What?

So now you may be wondering, okay that’s great but how do I make a routine? Don’t fret, that’s what I’m about to talk about next! You may not know this, but certain routines are and can be tailored to different aspects of a person’s life. So depending on the routine you may sleep better, or eat healthier. 

How to create a routine

Routines are so easy to start and easy to create. They are completely tailored to your life and your needs; so what might work for one might not work for another. Repeat that. Everyone is different and so are your routines. If one friend is doing something, but it doesn’t work for you, that’s okay. Like we’ve discussed, routines are to help you and only you.

Okay, back to my point haha. Incorporating and creating a routine is easy, it’s the keeping at it that can prove difficult, but you got this! 

Creating a routine

1. First, what kind of routine do you want to start? By this I mean do you want to improve your sleep? Do you want to work on skincare?

2. Now research and find out what steps you want to do within the category that you’ve picked above. List them out. 

3. Order your steps. What makes the most sense? What works best for you?

4.Get started on your routine 

It’s literally that easy. And a bonus is if you’re looking into a routine you probably already have a little idea of what you want to do. Another bonus, most of the time the internet will order your steps for you for some things, like skincare. 

Example:

Say you are always stressed when you are getting ready for work in the morning and rushing out the door, so you’ve decided you want to fix that.

1. My category: before work routine
2. Steps I found: wake up at least an hour before work, eat breakfast, shower, get dressed, prepare for the day (lunch), drink a glass of water, exercise, don’t hit snooze
3. Order:
   1. Wake up at least an hour before work
   2. Don’t hit snooze
   3. Exercise
   4. Shower
   5. Get dressed
   6. Drink a glass of water
   7. Prepare for the day

That’s it! And you can organize the steps however works best for you. 

Different Types of Routines

Okay, so now we know why routines are good and how to create them. Now, it’s just actually creating them and then working at it. So here are just a few examples of different types of routines you can start.

2. Bedtime routine. Some sort of ordinary that you, or your children, rely on everyday to help you calm down and get ready for bed. This could include, a shower, brushing your teeth, reading, drinking some calming tea. Again, whatever helps to meet your needs (or quiet the kids down). 
3. A self-care routine. A constant ritual that you go to when you need a refresh for yourself. Something that you don’t have to think about, but can set time aside for. I have a separate article that talks about a self-care evening at home, and includes many self-care aspects that you could try incorporating into your routine.
4. Then there are some routines that aren’t a routine, but a specific task done every couple days or every week at the exact same time. Like, watering your plants every Saturday morning for example. Just, the consistency in itself will create the benefits we are searching for in routines.
5. And so many more, meal planning, workout routine, etc. 

Tips

If you find some things are just not working for you, tweak your routine a little bit; maybe take out this and add in that or put this here instead of there. Routines are not set in stone they can be changed.

I could go on and on about routines, as you probably noticed, but this blog needs to end somewhere. Let me know what kind of routines you have in place for yourself in the comments. Or if you want to talk more or have questions contact me!