Learn How To Create A Daily Routine That Maximizes Your Life
Discover Why Waking Up Early Matters + Essential Habits To Get The Most Out of Your Day!
If you ask any successful person, nine times out of ten, they have a scheduled daily routine.
It's pretty common amongst productive people to have both a morning and night routine that sets them up for the days ahead. Unless you grew up in a household where having a stable routine was the standard, most likely you struggle with creating one for yourself later on in life.
Parents need to set the standard for their children on having a routine because it provides predictability and security, helping them feel safe and confident as they learn and grow. Establishing a consistent routine early on supports their development by promoting healthy habits, reducing stress, and promoting a sense of stability that enhances their overall well-being.
Why does our brain crave routine you might ask? It's because it helps reduce uncertainty and conserve energy, allowing you to focus on learning, growth, and self-care. Routine creates a sense of stability and control, which supports your mental well-being and encourages positive habits to flourish effortlessly.
Having a routine in life is crucial because it provides stability, reduces stress, and helps you build healthy habits that support you, especially on your healing and self-improvement journey. It sets a reliable structure for your days, empowering you to focus on your goals and nurture your well-being with consistency and ease.
Don't worry if you've never had a routine in your life. Internal is here to assist you! It's never too late to start practicing healthy habits. This is what The Internal Guide is for. To help guide you on your holistic health and wellness journey. Internal meets you no matter where you are in your path and provides various resources along the way as we know everyone is on different timelines.
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IN TODAY’S GUIDE, YOU’LL LEARN:
The 5-9, 9-5,5-9 method
Benefits of waking up early
How to maximize your day and MAKE time!
Daily habits you can start today to get the most out of your day
Why Is It That All Successful People Have A Scheduled Routine?
Successful people maintain a scheduled routine because it serves as a blueprint for productivity and personal development. By structuring their day, they optimize their time and energy, allowing them to focus on priorities and achieve their goals more efficiently. Having a routine cultivates discipline and consistency, which are essential for overcoming challenges and sustaining success.
Their routines support their well-being by incorporating habits that promote physical health, mental clarity, and emotional balance, steps for becoming the best version of yourself, and creating power in your life. Ultimately, a scheduled routine empowers people to stay organized, resilient, and motivated on their journey toward fulfillment.
Feeling like you have a great deal of power in your life and circumstances holds great weight on how you live your life. By having this sense of power you believe you are the one in the driver's seat and don't view yourself as powerless in creating the life you envision for yourself. Despite what we've been told, we are a lot more powerful than we are led to believe.
When you have a set schedule, you know what to expect each day, which reduces feelings of chaos and uncertainty. This sense of control can boost your confidence and self-esteem, as you are actively shaping your day and taking charge of how you spend your time. Additionally, a routine allows you to prioritize tasks and goals, ensuring that you allocate time for activities that are important to you, whether it's self-care, work, hobbies, or personal growth. By consistently following a routine, you build momentum and achieve a sense of accomplishment, reinforcing your belief in your ability to manage and direct your life effectively. This empowers you to feel more in command of your choices, actions, and ultimately, your destiny.
Why Waking Up Early Changes Lives
In addition to successful people having a set routine, they also wake up earlier than the majority. You’ve probably seen copious amounts of videos telling you how waking up early has changed lives. And this is not a dramatic statement, because it does!
When you wake up early you can dedicate this time to yourself without the distractions of the world. It gives you precious quiet time before the rush of the day begins, allowing you to set intentions, practice mindfulness, or engage in activities that nourish your mind, body, and soul. This early start cultivates a sense of control over your day and boosts productivity, as you can tackle important tasks before distractions set in.
Promote Mindfulness in the Morning By:
Meditation: Start your day with a few minutes of meditation to calm your mind, increase awareness, and promote inner peace.
Get our daily guided meditation surrounded by soothing healing energy and uplifting affirmations! By incorporating this meditation into your routine, you can start your day on a positive note and empower you to tackle any day ahead.
Deep Breathing Exercises: Practice deep breathing to oxygenate your body, reduce stress, and enhance focus.
Journaling/ Gratitude: Write in a gratitude journal or reflect on your thoughts and feelings to gain clarity and perspective.
Shhh… it's a secret
We are releasing a physical journal soon where you can write out all your self-discoveries, daily entries, manifestations, and more. It's up to you how to make this journey personal and most beneficial, in return creating your internal guide.
Mindful Walking: Take a quiet walk outdoors, focusing on your surroundings, the sensation of each step, and the sounds of nature.
Reading: Spend time reading inspiring or motivational books that uplift your spirit and stimulate your mind.
Visualization: Visualize your goals and aspirations, imagining yourself achieving them with confidence and determination.
Silent Reflection: Sit quietly with your thoughts, observing them without judgment and nurturing a sense of self-awareness.
Affirmations: Repeat positive affirmations to yourself, reinforcing beliefs that empower you and set a positive tone for the day ahead.
Remember where energy flows, energy goes. When you give your energy to mindfulness and self-care at the beginning of your day, watch how what you'll attract and believe will follow.
Creating Your 5-9, 9-5, & 5-9!
Assuming that most of our readers have busy schedules, Internal has created a three-shift schedule you can use to maximize the most out of your day. Think of it like work shifts and each shift has its own needs.
First Shift: 5 AM- 9 AM
Imagine waking up at 5 AM while most people start their day around 9. This early start allows you to craft a mindful morning routine tailored to your needs and preferences. Whether it's taking a leisurely hour-long walk, following your workout routine, practicing meditation, or indulging in activities that bring you joy, this time is solely dedicated to nurturing yourself. It's an opportunity to deepen self-awareness, prioritize self-care, and provide yourself with the attention that can easily get lost. In this shift, you can learn more about yourself and give the care you might not otherwise get with all the distractions coming on later throughout the day.
Second Shift: 9 AM- 5 PM
After completing your early morning routine from 5 AM to 9 AM, the "second shift" from 9 am to 5 pm becomes dedicated to work and fulfilling external responsibilities. By prioritizing self-care first, you ensure you have the energy and focus needed to be productive in this phase. Taking care of yourself before attending to others allows you to operate at your best—after all, you can't pour from an empty cup. Depending on your schedule (as not everyone works a 9-5), this productive phase could involve going to your job, caring for your children, running errands, or handling any tasks typical of your day. This approach maximizes your effectiveness and ensures you're ready to tackle whatever comes your way.
Third Shift: 5 PM- 9 PM
In the final shift of the day, you've already taken care of yourself and completed your essential tasks. Now, you have the opportunity to dedicate time to your social or leisure activities and wind down before bed. This might be hanging out and meeting with friends for dinner, preparing a meal while watching your favorite TV show, or spending the last hour of your night with your favorite book—it's entirely up to you! The best part is, if you aim to be in bed by 9 PM, you'll ensure a full 8 hours of rest before starting your early morning routine at 5 AM. By planning your day effectively, waking up early, and reducing screen time, you can maximize the hours available to you and achieve a well-balanced day. And do it again and again until it becomes second nature.
You can also create a bedtime routine in the last hour to help calm your mind. If you struggle with insomnia, being active and engaged throughout your day in addition to being up since 5 AM will not only help you go to sleep easier, but sticking with this routine will help your body's circadian rhythm and promote restful sleeping.
Actions You Can Take To Wind Down and Go To Bed:
Create a Bedtime Routine: Establish a consistent bedtime routine to signal to your body that it's time to wind down. This could include activities like brushing your teeth, washing your face, and changing into comfortable sleepwear.
Limit Screen Time: Reduce exposure to screens (phones, tablets, computers, TVs) at least an hour before bedtime. The blue light emitted by screens can interfere with your sleep by suppressing melatonin production.
Practice Relaxation Techniques: Engage in relaxation exercises such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or meditation to calm your mind and body.
Read a Book: Choose a book that is calming or enjoyable to read before bed. Opt for genres that help you unwind rather than stimulate your mind.
Drink Herbal Tea: Enjoying a cup of caffeine-free herbal tea, such as chamomile or lavender, can have soothing effects and promote relaxation.
Journaling: Write down your thoughts or things you're grateful for in a journal. This can help clear your mind and reduce stress before bed.
Listen to Calming Music or White Noise: Playing soothing music or white noise can create a peaceful environment and drown out background noise that may disturb your sleep.
Meditation: End your day with a few minutes of meditation to calm your mind, increase awareness, and promote inner peace.
Feel-Good Show: Watching a feel-good show can help distract your busy mind and facilitate relaxation. (And for the psychos out there, murder stories work too!)
You can MAKE time if it's important to you!
If you're reading this and told yourself “There's no way I can do all this, I'm just so busy”, we want you to take out your phone right now and look at your screen time. If there are additional hours given to social media apps, you can most definitely make time out of your day to add something from today's post. You don't have to do the three shifts exactly like we described, but you most definitely can create the time out of your day to create some changes. We are taught from a young age that money is the most valuable resource when in reality time is.
Most of us go throughout the day as if we have unlimited time on Earth, which is not always the case. Tomorrow is promised to no one and you must be spending your precious life doing things that fulfill and not drain you.
Our phones can be the biggest culprits in how we spend our time and it's up to us to change what we give our energy/ time to to create the lives of our dreams.
So start today and live every day doing activities that bring you joy with people you love, because if there's one thing everyone in this world has in common despite age, race, gender, and nationality is that we all have a limited time here, so make sure you use it wisely!
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Let's reflect on what you learned. In the comment section below answer some of these questions from today’s post.
Pull out your phone. What is your daily screen time? What app has the most time?
What are you going to add to your routine from the list?
Do you have a night or morning routine, if so what do you do that's not listed above?
