Many of us enter a new year set on getting into the groove of healthy eating or exercise or just plain trying to get back on a routine again.

For some, the word ‘routine’ is exciting and signals a sense of relief. For others, it bubbles up aversions where we think confinement and robotic living. And the rest of us, we wrestle with both: we want routine – but at the same time, we find it really hard to achieve. The thing is, science and our experience tell us that those with a few routines are the most likely to exercise, eat well and feel better about their day.

So how do you develop a (healthy) routine that both serves you well and doesn’t make you feel like a slave to your own self-imposed structure? 

1. Start by pinpointing parts of your day that would benefit most from routine. When do you feel most undone, frazzled or unproductive? Start there. For most, this means book-ending your day with routine by having morning and evening rituals.

2. What 1-3 simple rituals, or consistent actions, during that time frame(s) would help make you feel more productive, calm or grounded? When we operate out of a ‘rest and digest’ state of mind and move out of ‘fight, flight or freeze,’ we are better able to think rationally and laser-focus our (good) energy.

3. Protect that time. Make the actions in your routine non-negotiable – and start small – the feeling of successfully completing even one small thing will pay dividends to your overall day.

4. Don’t obsess about what your time looks like outside of the 1-3 action steps of the routine you’ve committed to. Live spontaneously, be unproductive (lol), seize the day!

If the ANCHOR parts of your day are structured and taken care of, it frees you up to not put so much weight into what the rest of the day, the parts that aren’t as much in your control, might look like. We bet, though, that establishing a few healthy routines in your day will create a domino-effect for that goodness to overflow into whatever life throws at you.

Here’s an example of book-ending your day with a few healthy routines (and again, this is just an example. Start with where you are, what fits for you and your life and what you enjoy!).

Morning: Wake up at 5:30am. Go to gym. Sit with coffee and post-workout fuel for some devotions/meditations. Shower. Eat breakfast.

Evening: Prep lunch for tomorrow. Clean kitchen. Wash face, brush teeth. Set out gym clothes for morning. Read or watch TV.

We’re creatures of habit, good or bad. Are your habits hindering or helping? 

What routines would you like to bake into your day to help you make this year refreshing to your spirit?

We’re cheering you on!
Jess + Team Valeo

PS – we’ve got a 6-week experience that may just propel your year intentionally towards that refreshment. Check it out below.

The (Even More) Awesome Challenge