4 Must-Haves For a Successful Daily Routine

Written by: Laura Fuentes

With a year under our belts maneuvering this post-pandemic life, many of us are wondering how exactly should one “pick up where we left off.”

The thing is, if I’m completely honest with myself, I don’t want to pick up where I left off. I want to think of this as an opportunity to set myself up for success -regardless of what’s happening around me.

One of my takeaways from the early pandemic days is that having no daily routine or structure to my day kept me in a state of “limbo” that left me mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted.

By the time mid-summer rolled out, I realized that by not doing the things I knew would make me better - like getting enough sleep, planning out my meals, physically moving my body, and focusing on the good things that were already around me- I was depriving myself of the benefits these positive activities provide.

So I decided to focus on the very thing I could control: ME.

By accepting that life and the pandemic was in full swing around me and I could not control that -only how I reacted- I was able to let go of the shame I felt for not being “where I thought I should be by now.”

Every day I had 4 things on the ME to-do list and they are the 4 things I want to encourage you to focus on moving forward. They include:

1. SLEEP. I typically go to bed at the same time as my kids, by 9 pm most nights, and find myself waking up without feeling like a zombie between 6 and 6:30 am most mornings.

2. EXERCISE. Some days, it›s as simple as going for a walk in my pjs (bra optional) with my cup of coffee 30 minutes before the kids wake up while other days this happens mid-day during my lunch hour at work when it›s not blazing hot, and others after dinner where I tell my family to pick up the kitchen while I go around the block.

My point with exercise is that physical movement is essential to building emotional momentum in our lives.

3. EAT WELL. Is this food going to make me feel good about myself after I eat it? If so, I’m eating well. It’s that simple.

By now, we all know the foods that trigger an emotional response -and if you don’t know, next time you eat a food that’s fried, sugary, or purchased from a drive-through, listen to your internal dialogue.

Of course, the easiest way to not feel bad about your choices is to create a weekly plan for your meals. A meal plan provides structure and structure is a path to success.

4. MINDSET. This is the area that knits the first three items in your “ME-list” together. By keeping the other items at the forefront of our day, it helps us keep our emotions at bay.

These are, in my opinion, the four areas that need the most structure in a daily routine. Scheduling your appointments, deadlines, and kid-activities in your calendar are not part of a successful daily routine, those are part of life.

A daily routine where you make sure your sleep, exercise, nutrition, and mindset are taken care of daily will provide positive momentum so you can achieve the things you want for yourself and your family.

For more tips and information on creating a successful daily routine, Google: Laura Fuentes daily routine or visit LauraFuentes.com.