Best Healthy Daily Routine to Live longer as a healthy person in the earth × live long + Stay healthy
Healthy Routine
Creating a healthy daily routine is a simple yet effective way to build consistency when it comes to your health. Not only does your daily routine impact your overall health, but it has a direct impact on your stress levels, sleep habits, and eating patterns. Everything from what you do first thing in the morning to what you do last at night plays a role in your overall health. Although it can be tempting to change everything at once, focusing on small habits and doing them on a daily basis is the best way to make a healthy daily routine, and healthy daily habits last for the long term.
According to the dictionary, a habit is defined as “a settled tendency or usual manner of behavior” or “a behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition “. Therefore, by definition, a habit is something that is done regularly or repeatedly, and creating regularly healthy habits is essential for our health. Although eating vegetables once in a while or exercising once in a while is great, doing these habits frequently and regularly is how they are most beneficial.
In fact, the structure of your day and the habits you chose to follow can have a major effect on your physical, mental and emotional health. Healthy habits that are done on a regular and consistent basis can be the difference between operating at peak efficiency or struggling to reach your health goals. Although everyone is unique and everyone’s lifestyle is different, there are some common healthy daily habits that everyone can implement for improved health. Surprisingly, some of the most beneficial healthy daily habits have absolutely nothing do to with diet and exercise at all.
12 HEALTHY DAILY HABITS TO START TODAY
Here is a list of 12 healthy daily habits that you can do every day to help create a healthier lifestyle.
1. WAKE UP EARLY
Alright, you don’t need to rise and shine with the sun every morning, but waking up at a decent (early) hour is essential for optimal health. The human body and brain have evolved to follow a circadian rhythm that helps to regulate sleep and wake patterns that are set by our natural environment, specifically the rising and setting of the sun. This natural circadian rhythm also corresponds with the body’s natural cortisol levels: a hormone well known for its role in our metabolism, immune system, stress response, and energy levels. In a balanced state, cortisol levels start to rise 2-3 hours after the onset of sleep and continue to rise into the early morning helping to wake us. Cortisol levels in the body will then peak around 8:30 am or 9:00 am and continue to gradually decline as the day continues. Therefore, following the body’s natural circadian rhythm and cortisol levels is a simple way to maximize energy levels, productivity, and overall health.
2. DRINK WATER BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE
Staying hydrated is vital for our health and although we’ve heard it many times, it’s often overlooked. Our bodies are 60% water and not drinking enough water can lead to more than just dehydration. In fact, low levels of dehydration are linked to fatigue, headaches, and increased cravings. Although it is imperative to drink water throughout the day, one of the best (and easiest) times to drink water is first thing in the morning. So, before you start sipping on your morning brew, drink a glass of water. Not only is it refreshing, but it can help to hydrate the body while aiding digestion and metabolism at the same time.
3. MAKE TIME FOR MOVEMENT
Humans are designed to move but as we create more sedentary lifestyles we are moving less and less. Many of us work sitting down, travel sitting down, and relax sitting down, so it is becoming more and more important that we create ways to move since they are no longer occurring organically. Gone are the days when our daily lives included manual labor and, therefore, we must carve out specific time for movement lives. Exercise has tremendous health benefits for both the body and the mind and there are so many different ways to create movement in your day. Whether you love biking, swimming, dancing, or going to the gym, it is imperative that you find some form of movement that you enjoy and make time for it on a daily basis
4. SPEND TIME OUTSIDE
Getting fresh air on a regular basis is one of the easiest ways to improve your overall health. Exposure to the sun enables the body to produce vitamin D, which has been shown to have many essential functions in the body. Deficiency in vitamin D has been linked to fatigue, weakened immune system, bone and back pain, low mood, and depression. Ironically, vitamin D is one of the most commonly supplemented vitamins, while daily exposure to the sun could prove to be a simple solution to this concern. So, whether it’s spring, summer, winter, or fall, ensure that you spend some time outside every single day.
5. EAT SITTING DOWN
When it’s time to eat, sit down. Not only does the act of sitting down help to ensure that we are not mindlessly eating in front of the pantry, but eating while sitting down helps to support digestion. Eating while sitting down forces you to slow down and chew the food you are eating, which is the first (and most important) step in the digestive process. The act of sitting down also helps to ensure that the body is in a more optimal postural position for the digestive system. So, if you constantly find yourself munching everywhere around the house, implement this simple guideline of eating while sitting down to help bring more awareness to your food and your health.
6. GO FOR A WALK
Walking is one of the most underrated healthy habits you can do. Walking is often overlooked because it’s so simple or it “doesn’t burn that many calories” but science shows that putting one foot in front of the other can lead to some impressive mental and physical health benefits. Not only does walking improve fitness, and cardiovascular markers and help to prevent weight gain, but it has also been shown to improve posture, mood, circulation, the risk for chronic disease, as well as alleviate fatigue and depression. Moreover, going for a walk every day, long or short, can help to increase the amount of time spent outside and exposure to sunlight, further supporting the body’s production of vitamin D and natural circadian rhythm.
7. TAKE TIME TO COOK
Learning to cook is one of the simplest healthy daily habits you can do and one of the greatest gifts you can give to your health. Although cooking is often thought of as a “chore” it is, in fact, a basic human skill that is required to satisfy a basic human need. Not only is does cooking help to control the quality of the food that you eat, but it helps to create more appreciation for your food and a connection to it. If you are just reheating food in the oven every night or ordering takeout it will be more challenging to bring mindfulness to your eating habits and your food. Moreover, cooking is a simple form of self-care that you can practice every single day, making it one of the most beneficial healthy daily habits.
8. EAT A VEGETABLE
This is certainly not the first time you’ve been told to eat vegetables, so consider it a simple reminder. Not only are vegetables whole foods but they are rich in vitamins, and minerals and are great sources of fiber, which can help to maintain a healthy gut, and prevent constipation and other digestion issues. Individuals who consume vegetables regularly had roughly a 20% lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, compared with individuals who ate less than 3 servings per day. Moreover, by virtue of adding more vegetables to your diet, there becomes less and less room for processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and added sugars. So, instead of focusing on what not to eat, focus on what you can eat and eat more of it
12. GO TO BED EARLY
Sleep is the only time during the day when our bodies are able to relax, unwind and recover. Unfortunately, many people are falling short of the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night and this can have devastating impacts on our health. Many people are putting off bedtime in favor of other activities; including television, social media, and video games, but over time this can come at the cost of our health. Lack of sleep, or poor quality sleep, has been linked to memory issues, mood changes, weakened immunity, altered eating behavior, and increased aging. Not to mention, sleep has been shown to support weight loss given lack of sleep has been shown to create hormone imbalances in insulin, leptin, cortisol, and many other hormones, which have a profound impact on weight. Moreover, going to bed earlier will actually make waking up early easier, which is one of the most important healthy daily habits you can do. So, if you are a night owl, try to get to bed a little earlier by giving yourself a curfew because, let’s be honest, nothing productive happens after 10:00 pm. Turn off digital devices, turn down the lights, read a book and focus on getting restful shut-eye.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Creating a healthy lifestyle does not mean that you need to pull a 180 or make sweeping changes all at once. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. By focusing on small healthy daily habits and creating ones that you truly enjoy, you are more likely to maintain them for the long term. Developing healthy daily habits will take time, dedication, and determination, but that does not mean they can’t be done. Remember, you’re not in a race. Instead, avoid extreme solutions, take your time, and work on individual healthy habits to help ensure that your health and success are long-lasting.
HABIT
Powerful Daily Routine Examples for a Healthier Life
Big or small, healthy or unhealthy, our habits combine to form routines that play out every day for us. Most of this is done without us even having to think. That’s why, even though we understand the importance of having good habits, sometimes it’s tough to stick to a healthy daily routine.
Today, you’ll learn more about why setting a routine can be challenging. By understanding the root causes of your behaviors, you’ll learn how to make changes and stick with them. You’ll also discover some positive daily routines that can lead you to a healthier and happier life.
Finding and adopting the right daily routine will re-energize you and help you regain wasted time. Your mind and body will thank you for the decreased anxiety and extra care you’ve given them. Here’s to a healthier, calmer, and higher-achieving you.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
How a Daily Routine Changes Your Life
Your daily routine consists of all of your habits. These actions structure your day and make the difference between operating at peak efficiency and struggling to make it through a poorly-planned day.
You can have energizing, time-saving routines or adopt draining, inefficient routines. The choice is up to you. Don’t feel bad knowing that some unhealthy habits have crept into your day. The important thing is to recognize them so that you can make a change.
An excellent daily routine sets you up for success. If you make just one change that saves you 10 minutes daily, you can regain 60 hours of your precious time each year.[1]
Best Daily Routines for a Healthy Life
It takes time to become the best version of yourself, but we’ll help you make it easier by getting you a few healthy daily routine examples to follow directly.
Daily Routine for Good Health and More Energy
1. START THE DAY WITH A GLASS OF LEMON WATER
Simply add the juice of half a lemon to your glass and drink it to enjoy a refreshing start to the day.
Lemon juice reduces your body’s acidity levels, which, in turn, protects you against inflammatory diseases, such as fungal infections and osteoporosis. [2]
2. EXERCISE IN THE MORNING
Working out early in the morning improves your energy levels and circulation, and encourages good lymphatic function. Just 20 or 30 minutes every day can make a difference! Mix cardio and weights throughout the week for overall toning and general health.
For great exercises, grab this Cardio Home Workout Plan for free and try the recommended exercises!
Getting on the scale each morning is also an effective way to monitor your weight. Don’t go weeks without weighing yourself because this allows you to remain in denial about any weight gain.
3. EAT A GOOD BREAKFAST
When you eat breakfast, fuel yourself with a healthy mix of protein, slow-release carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Sensible options include yogurt with nuts and berries, a vegetable omelet, and low-sugar granola bars with a piece of fruit.
4. STAY HYDRATED
Did you know that becoming even slightly dehydrated can lead to lowered mood and decreased concentration? Keep water or other low-sugar drinks on hand to sip throughout the day.[3]
5. GET A HEALTHY LUNCH
Even the busiest of us can grab a healthy lunch as part of a daily routine. For lunch ideas, you can make in advance and take with you to work, check out this post: Healthy Lunch Ideas for Work
Avoid too much fat at lunchtime, as it promotes afternoon lethargy, which isn’t going to help you get through a busy day! [4]
6. DO SOME MID-AFTERNOON STRETCHES
Most of us have a mid-afternoon “slump” somewhere between 2 and 4 PM, but you can keep yourself going through the day by choosing a healthy lunch and doing some light stretches or a bit of exercise in the afternoon. Check out this list of 29 exercises you can do at (or near) your desk.
7. DINNER
With many meal planning apps out there, getting a quick but healthy dinner on the table has never been easier! Be realistic, and choose something that doesn’t require much time or effort to throw together. Otherwise, you may resort to takeout.
Green vegetables are always a great choice, as they are packed with antioxidants and have an alkalizing effect. Choose plant-based proteins such as tofu or seitan or, if you prefer animal protein, pick fish and lamb rather than beef or chicken to minimize acidity levels in the body. [5]
Avoid caffeine in the late afternoon and evening because it will prevent you from sleeping soundly at night.
8. TAKE TIME TO RELAX
It’s normal to feel stressed from time to time, but high-stress levels leave you vulnerable to a number of health conditions and problems, including depression and elevated blood pressure.
Find a healthy activity that relaxes you, and then set aside sometime every day to do it as part of your daily routine. This could be journaling, reading an inspiring book, spending time with a pet, meditating, or simply taking a few minutes to remind yourself of everything that is going well in your life.
9. TAKE A VITAMIN C SUPPLEMENT BEFORE BED
Before turning in for the night, take half a teaspoon of buffered vitamin C powder in a glass of water.
This is a quick, effective means of reducing the acidity in your body. It will also ensure that you go to bed well-hydrated, which will help you wake up when that alarm clock beeps.
10. GO TO SLEEP AT A REASONABLE HOUR
It sounds obvious, but if you want to feel your best, you must get enough sleep. Most experts recommend that we get 6 to 10 hours of sleep per night. [6]
Turn off your phone and computer at least an hour before bed, and avoid vigorous exercise in the late evening. These measures will help you wind down when it’s time for sleep.
Daily Routine for an Organized Life
1. MAKE YOUR BED
Prepare for the day by making your bed. It’s a quick chore that will put you in a productive, organized frame of mind. [7]
2. HAVE YOUR EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHES LAID OUT THE NIGHT BEFORE
If you like to work out, the morning is the best time to do it! It will leave you feeling full of energy and will give you a sense of accomplishment before you leave the house. Whether you like to go for a walk, take a gym class, or do yoga in your bedroom, make sure that you have all the equipment and clothing you need, laid out and ready the night before.
3. WIPE DOWN LARGE SURFACES
After your morning shower, spray down and wipe the largest surfaces in your bathroom. It’s much easier and more fun to do mini-cleans throughout the week than to wait until the weekend![8]
4. PUT EVERYTHING BACK WHERE YOU FOUND IT
When you’ve made your breakfast, put everything back exactly where you found it, as this makes everything easier the morning after. If you notice that you are running low on a grocery item, add it to a list you can take with you next time you pass the grocery store.
5. RUN THROUGH A LIST OF ESSENTIAL ITEMS
Before you leave the house, run through a list of your essential items, such as your wallet, employee badge, water bottle, and so on. Keep a list of these items near your front door so you can quickly check your purse or bag before heading out the door as part of your daily routine.
6. PRIORITIZE YOUR TASKS
Make a list of tasks and decide whether they are important, urgent, both, or neither. Start with urgent and important tasks, move on to the important and non-urgent tasks, then tackle the unimportant but urgent jobs.
Use this Full Life Planner to help you better organize your day. Writing a task list can always give you a sense of control.
7. PRIORITIZE YOUR EMAILS
Before you start your day, spend 10 minutes prioritizing your e-mails. Get into the habit of deciding which ones need your urgent attention, which are important, which are both, and which are neither.
Check your e-mails every couple of hours rather than every few minutes because frequent interruptions will impair your concentration and productivity.
8. KEEP YOUR FINANCES ON TRACK
Take a couple of minutes to keep your finances on track each day as part of your daily routine. Check your bank balance and ensure you’re sticking to your budget.
9. PLAN FOR DINNER
Do you need to pick anything up from the grocery store on the way home? Do you need to look up a recipe? This only takes a few minutes, but a bit of planning can save a lot of time later.
10. CLEAR YOUR DESK AT THE END OF THE DAY
Take five minutes to clear your work desk before leaving for your break. It will help you feel more organized when you return.
11. REVIEW YOUR TO-DO LIST
If you aren’t making as much progress as you hoped, it’s time to rewrite it!
12. DO THE DISHES IMMEDIATELY AFTER DINNER
Otherwise, you might be tempted to sit in front of the TV and get distracted.
13. DO A “BRAIN DUMP”
Doing a “brain dump” is helpful if you tend to lie awake worrying about what you need to do the next day. Once you have written them down, you can go to sleep knowing that you can refer to the list when you wake up.
Daily Routine for More Productive Work
1. PLAN THE NIGHT BEFORE
Some of the most influential and productive people start their daily routine the night before.
Think of this as the planning stage. At this time, you might find it helpful to plot out your day in blocks of time, with a specific activity planned for each. This is commonly known as the time blocking method, which ensures that you don’t end up multitasking, which can negatively impact your productivity.
2. WAKE UP AT THE SAME TIME EVERY DAY
This may sound counterintuitive; it is often imagined that the most productive people are those that can wake up at dawn and continue into the evening. But the 9-5 workday might not necessarily suit everyone. [9]
I’m not suggesting that people work less, but someone who works from 10-6 works for just as long as someone who works 9-5, and that extra hour in bed may mean that they’re more fresh and ready to work.
If you have any flexibility at all, consider what works best for you.
3. EAT A GOOD BREAKFAST
Once you have woken up, it is essential to eat well as part of your daily routine. It would help if you had something that will give you a good boost of energy while keeping you full. A good idea is oatmeal with a smoothie or a healthy fruit juice.
Check out 30 Healthy And Tasty Recipes For Breakfast That You Can Make The Night Before for more healthy breakfast choices that are easy to make and keep you energetic.
4. CREATE A DISTRACTION-FREE WORKSPACE
A few years ago, a study at Princeton University concluded that if there are many forms of visual stimuli in your field of vision, your brain will spread its focus and attention to each piece. [10]
In other words, if your desk is cluttered, your ability to focus on the task at hand diminishes.
Simply clearing your desk of distractions can greatly impact your focus and productivity.
5. DON’T CHECK EMAILS FIRST
Mornings are a great time to do productive work that requires focus, creativity, and strategy. Clearing out the inbox gives you a false sense of achievement and wastes the opportunity to engage your brain in more proactive tasks. Though you may have read a lot of emails, you haven’t done anything significant.
Instead, focus on your goals, and do what really matters.
6. TACKLE THE WORST THING FIRST
Start your daily routine at work by tackling the most difficult or most pressing task first, the task that will most likely encourage you to procrastinate. This is the philosophy put forward by Brian Tracy in his book Eat That Frog.
The benefit of this is simple. Even if you accomplish little else that day, you can be happy knowing that you did something important. Also, by doing the most challenging thing first, everything else will be easier.
7. REST OR MEDITATE
When setting up a routine, it can be easy to forget the most important activity: resting. Humans aren’t built for working all day, every day without a break. If you don’t consider this in your routine, there is a danger that you will lose energy and enthusiasm altogether and burn out, thereby killing your productivity altogether.
This can be mitigated by making sure to get some rest. One way to do this is by picking a reasonable time to stop working. Another is to take a quick nap or try meditation.
8. SAY NO TO UNREASONABLE REQUESTS
This may be the hardest thing on this list, but it can be one of the most effective. Adding extra tasks and jobs to your day can immediately throw your routine off balance, and it will negatively impact your day’s productivity.
As such, declining and saying no to extra tasks (that are unreasonably urgent or unimportant) can be the key to staying productive. After all, doing one thing really well is more important than doing several things badly.
9. OPTIMIZE YOUR WORK
The best rest is a change of work. Break up your workday into interchanging periods of 45 and 15 minutes, and switch between tasks. Try to make sure the tasks are completely different from one another. Looks like a waste of time? Try it out and see how your output changes.
10. MINIMIZING TIME WASTED ON ROUTINES
There are millions of tips on how to reduce time spent on mundane activities like cooking and home cleaning, but one thing works surprisingly well: Set the amount of time you are willing to spend on them each week and each day and never exceed it.
You will be surprised how resourceful you become in the face of a self-imposed deadline.
11. USE TOOLS THAT WILL HELP YOU CONCENTRATE
In the internet age, distractions are perhaps an even greater enemy of productivity than in any previous historical period. But in order to fight them, you may be able to use the very place they come from.
The web is rife with online tools that help you concentrate on the task at hand. Some block distracting sites while you work, others help you track how much time you waste, and others isolate you from social networks.
Daily Routine for a Stronger Relationship
1. KISS YOUR PARTNER GOODBYE
How often do you rush out of the door with a quick peck on the cheek and a “see you later!” Maybe you’ve got to the stage where you don’t even do that anymore. It’s important to take the time to say goodbye.
Create 3 to 5 minutes in your morning routine to be with your partner and properly say goodbye. Kiss each other meaningfully, and take in the moment. It’s important not to overlook these small gestures.
2. CREATE LITTLE DAILY RITUALS
Creating small actions that are meaningful to both of you can build a sense of connection, which can carry on throughout your day when you’re apart.
Leave little notes under your partner’s coffee cup. Write a message on the fogged-up mirror for your partner to discover. Text a joke of the day on your lunch breaks.
These rituals bring a sense of positive expectation and bonding, something only the two of you share together. Without these, relationships can become stale.
3. SCHEDULE A DATE NIGHT
This is a particularly important part of your daily routine when you have kids. When children and extra responsibilities control your lives, your relationship can get overlooked. This is when things can break down, and intimacy gets lost no matter how much you love each other.
Schedule regular date nights where you can be free from responsibilities and connect with each other. Use this time to check how you are both feeling and most importantly, have fun. Keep reconnecting with the reasons you fell in love in the first place.
4. CREATE A BONDING BEDTIME ROUTINE
When the doors are closed, and you’ve finally fallen into bed, it’s easy to want to fall asleep, but bedtime is a wonderful time to get connected with your partner both physically and emotionally.
Try to go to bed at the same time, and use it as your couple time. Pillow talk is an excellent time to bond. While you’re in a relaxed state, talk about your days at work, any concerns, or even future plans.
Communication and talking things out is the best habit you can have as a couple. Just make sure you take the time to really listen to each other with respect and an open mind, always ending the night on a positive note.
How to Stick to Your Routine
When you do something, and no immediate harm comes to you, your subconscious mind assumes it’s safe to continue doing the activity. Overcoming a poor daily routine that feels comfortable to you requires impressive willpower.
Reaching for a snack or scrolling through social media can sabotage healthy plans by flooding your brain with dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter. That dopamine release causes you to want to continue the action whether or not it’s good for you.
There may be quite a few things that need to be changed in your life. Changing too many habits at once can be difficult and discouraging.
On top of that, we only have so much mental bandwidth to devote to making decisions. When decision fatigue sets in, we’re likely to revert to whatever is easiest, even if we know it’s unhealthy.
Biting off more than you can chew is a surefire way to fail. Instead, pick one routine, and work on that. Or better, pick one habit and stick to that first.
Upgrading your daily routine is a commitment. By starting small and being realistic, you can develop healthy rituals and efficient routines that help you get the most out of life.
Get things done the smart way ⏰
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