There are 3 routines you should start today if you aren’t already doing them. These routines are beneficial in many ways. If you’re already doing these things, that’s great, keep going.

Wake Up Early

Are you the kind of person who for the past few months or even years, wake’s up, throws on an outfit, eats a quick breakfast, and walks out the door to go to work?

This is a habit that I used to say yes to. I mean, who doesn’t like the extra sleep just before waking up to do the things that must be done for the day. Whether you’re going to school or work, waking up early has advantages over that little bit of extra sleep.

It doesn’t matter if you’re single, married, and/or have kids, you should give waking up early a try. For the past few months, I have been working on making this a habit.

When I say wake up early, I don’t mean just 20 minutes, even though 20 minutes is better than none. What I mean to say is you should wake up a full hour or maybe even an hour and a half.

The first few days, you may fail at waking up at the time intended, and that is okay. If it helps, put your phone or alarm clock in a place where you must get out of bed to turn it off. If you have a traditional alarm clock, set it back a half hour to trick your mind into waking up early.

Habits Can Change

Habits can change just by making a choice and committing to it. It won’t happen over night, and you must put in the work. It pays off in the end.

The first thing you should do every morning is make the bed, if you can. It will be the first successful thing you accomplish for the day. And who doesn’t like feeling successful? This is one of the pros of waking up early.

The extra time gained creates “you” time. Maybe it gives you time to exercise, if life doesn’t allow you to do so throughout the day and/or evening. Or perhaps it gives you time to plan out your day. If you’re a blogger, maybe you can start and finish the next piece of content for your site.

If you aren’t creating good habits and working on yourself, this is a good way to start.

So the next time you think about hitting that snooze button, maybe you’ll get out of bed instead, and make time for yourself.

Exercise

Exercise as you may know, has plenty of benefits. Studies show that daily exercise can enhance your overall quality of life. Not only does it help out with weight management and appearance, it also improves your brain. Another study claims that it can help prevent diabetes.

Cardio is a good place to start in losing weight. Running is one of my main forms of exercise. Two miles is usually my target goal, but sometimes I’ll go a bit further. Getting the heart rate up is a good way to boost your metabolism. Other things you can do: walking, swimming, and biking. If I had access to a pool, I’d be swimming more than running because it takes more effort and energy than just using your legs.

Recently, I’ve implemented yoga into my exercise routine. While it isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, I definitely noticed a difference immediately. For example, I went for a 10 mile walk/run around the local lake. A yoga stretch known as the ‘half pigeon pose’ really helped relieve that soreness I was feeling the following morning.

Nobody is Looking

Some of you may be struggling with exercising in public, mostly because you feel that others are watching you. This feeling comes from lack confidence and insecurities about ourselves. You aren’t alone in this. However, most the time nobody is looking at you. Chances are they feel the same way, myself included.

Recently, I was at the gym and started out feeling that way. But I was glad I didn’t let it get to me, and completed a full workout. It did help that I went with a friend, and that may be what you might have to do to get started.

The best way to overcome this is by getting out there and just doing it. It is your personal goal to exercise and be healthy. Bystanders who may or may not be looking at you should not have a negative influence on your goal.

If you do happen to catch someone looking at you, do not be alarmed. They might just be trying to learn from you. Maybe it’s their first time to a gym and they aren’t sure what they should be doing. Or maybe they see an issue with something you’re doing and plan to give you a valuable tip to improve your performance. Either way, keep up what you’re doing.

Write

Lastly, Write. Write in a journal or diary. Write your goals down on paper. That idea that may have popped into your head during the day, write it down.

Writing is good exercise for your brain. It also helps you clear out the clutter in your head so you can think about other things. Additionally, it can help you remember things that you may otherwise forget.

You don’t have to be a good writer, we all know I’m not. I am working on it though and that’s a good starting point. I’m not a poet, so don’t expect anything like that from me. I do hope that my writings inspire though.

Maybe you can learn more about yourself by writing. Perhaps you are the kind of person who takes up poetry, or writing fiction. Some people out there enjoy non-fiction too. Start a journal if you want, many successful people have a journal.

Conclusion

There may be other routines you could start today, however, waking up early, exercise, and writing are good routines to have in your life every day. They can be good for your physical health, as well as your mental health.

If you enjoyed this article, please let me know in the comments.