Mental Health Blog Post
Title – Improve Mental Health with Daily Routine | Tips From Portland, OR Therapists
Meta – Learn how simple daily routines reduce stress and boost mental health. Portland therapists share advice for healthy habits.
How Simple Daily Routines Can Improve Your Mental Health
There’s no shortage of evidence that routines and healthy habits are good for you. You’ve been hearing it since you were a kid: If you don’t want cavities, brush your teeth. Want to ace the test? Take the time to study. Want to make the team? Don’t miss practice.
But routines aren’t just habits. They’re a sequence of consistent behaviors that create structure, reduce stress, and improve your mental and physical health.
Simple routines free up your mind
Think about the times when you’ve had so much to do you didn’t even know where to start. With a routine in place, one habit follows another, removing the guess work and becoming automatic. That kind of simplicity can relieve stress you didn’t even know you had.
Say you always make your bed, then get dressed, then brush your teeth. That’s your routine. And without even realizing it, you’ve accomplished something, and set the tone for the rest of the day. If meditation or exercise is part of that routine, they follow naturally. You’ll likely do them without even thinking about it.
Say every evening when you come home from work you walk the dog and then spend a half hour playing guitar before dinner. That’s routine. It’s much needed “me” time that you’ve automatically built into your life.
Once that routine settles into consistent and regular behavior, you no longer have to spend mental energy thinking about what to do next. You already know. There’s (usually!) no more arguing with yourself. You just do the thing.
With routine comes a level of comfort that makes many of your daily activities much easier. (1)
So how does that affect my mental health?
In short, a path to follow – a map, if you will – is far less stressful than wandering around aimlessly. Structure and predictability are the antidotes to anxiety.
It’s even more important if you’re struggling with mental health challenges. In fact, at Multnomah Counseling here in Portland, OR, we talk to all our clients about the mental health benefits of simple daily routines.
When you have depression, anxiety, or you’re just going through a challenging time, having a routine in place is a windfall. Especially on the bad days.
Say you wake up with no motivation.
But your established
routine starts with making your bed. You might not feel like it, but you do it. It’s automatic. That leads to the next thing in your routine. Doing some stretching, maybe. Or a gratitude list.
The next thing you know you’re showered and dressed and almost without effort, you’ve already got stuff done! Suddenly facing the day doesn’t seem like half the mountain it was when you opened your eyes.
There’s no question. Having routine in your life relieves a ton of unconscious stress. And when you’re already dealing with emotional obstacles, the less stress you have to deal with, the more you can focus on healing. (2)
Tangible benefits of routine
Of course, healing looks different for everyone, but some of the mental health benefits of routine are universal. (3)(4)
- A sense of accomplishment that boosts self-confidence.
- Having structure that makes it much easier to manage stress.
- A measure of yourself so you know you’re on track.
- Better sleep
- A Healthier diet
- Increased exercise
Each on its own is an advantage. But just as actions stack up to create routines, the mental and physical rewards of routine can stack up to create a whole new you.
Tips for starting
Have you ever thought to yourself, I need to change everything? So you decide that (starting tomorrow) you’ll eat healthier, exercise more, write that novel, get a new job, learn a new language, and achieve every other thing you’ve thought about in your life?
Yeah, don’t do that.
One sure way to fail is trying to do everything all at once. (You’re building routines to avoid being overwhelmed, not trying to bury yourself.)
1. Start small
Start with making the bed. Or a walk around the block, cooking a healthy meal, or writing a paragraph in your journal. Pick one.
Or you can start bigger. Everyone is different. The point is, do what’s realistic and achievable for you. It’s not a contest. It is about consistency!
2. Have a game plan
Planning out the next day before bed is a great idea (and another part of an evening routine!) It’s especially important when you’re starting out. Even after your new behaviors actually become routines, having a map is never a bad idea.
3. Set yourself up for success
Make it as easy as possible. Leave yourself cues:
- Place your tennis shoes by the door.
- Put your journal on the nightstand.
- Set the alarm on your phone.
- Tape a note to the mirror.
Anchor your routines to time of day. Stay consistent:
- Morning = meditation + yoga.
- After dinner = walk the dog + play a game. (That’s right! Your routines give you time to relax and decompress, too!)
- Saturday morning = breakfast + bike ride
4. Talk about it
Whether it’s your partner, your friends, your therapist, or your family, talking about your goals and the things you’re achieving is solid reinforcement. (Not to mention some oft-needed accountability).
It’s time to get started building routines to improve your mental health
Go ahead and take some time to think about routines. Brainstorm a little. What habits would be good for you? What new activities would you would enjoy? Then get started!
Do your best to aim for consistency, but this isn’t about being perfect. (Impossible!)
In fact, you should probably go ahead and prepare for some lapses. You’re human.
But if you did something positive this week you didn’t do last week, that’s improvement. That’s growth. That’s you taking life by the reins and steering it towards stability and serenity.
Naturally, if you need help building structure in your life, the counselors at Multnomah Counseling in Portland, OR are here to help. You can reach out anytime.
And always remember this: You control your destiny, and you have the power to create the peaceful life you deserve.