A healthy lifestyle is the most important condition for happiness, well-being and active longevity. One of the main factors of such life activity is the daily routine. For human health, it is imperative that the physiological functions of the body coincide with biological rhythms and are performed at approximately the same time. Then it will literally work “like a clock.” Of course, such a routine should be purely individual and coincide with one’s own capabilities. To create an optimal daily schedule for yourself, you must first understand what a daily routine is, why it is useful to follow it, and how it will help in everyday life.
12:00. Restore your energy
Use lunchtime to rejuvenate not only your body, but your mind as well. Go back to what you were listening to or reading in the morning, or try some meditation. If you are an extrovert, then chat with colleagues - this way you will fill yourself with energy even more.
If you have to have lunch at the computer while working at the same time, then at least let the food be healthy. It could be a fresh vegetable salad, a wrap with lean meats, or just a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread.
Forming the right daily routine
There is nothing more important for a healthy lifestyle than a good daily routine. It allows you to comply with all aspects of a healthy lifestyle and use your time rationally. A healthy lifestyle day plan might look like this.
1) 7:00 – rise and morning hygiene procedures
You should wake up in a good mood. Try to get out of bed every morning with a smile and a positive attitude for the day. After waking up, it is advisable to drink a glass of clean water at room temperature, this will “turn on” your body and speed up your metabolism.
Doctors advise brushing your teeth before your first meal so that bacteria accumulated in the oral cavity do not enter the gastrointestinal tract. Read about other expert recommendations in this article.
2) 7:30 – light exercise
Tones the body and energizes you for the whole day.
3) 8:00 – breakfast
Breakfast should be hearty and include proteins and complex carbohydrates. The ideal option would be scrambled eggs with a slice of whole grain bread. Read about proper nutrition in this article.
4) 9:00-10:00 – peak mental activity
It would be best to devote this time to activities related to intense brain function, memory and intelligence. It is during these hours that such tasks are performed more efficiently.
5) 12:00 – 14:00 – break for proper rest and lunch
It's time to refresh yourself and give your brain a break from hard work. Lunch should give you strength until dinner, so it should be no less hearty than breakfast. For example, you can bake a chicken breast, complement it with boiled brown rice and fresh vegetables. Such a diet will perfectly satiate and will have a beneficial effect on the digestive system.
After lunch, it is advisable to take a short walk or at least stretch a little to circulate the blood throughout the body. Especially if you have a sedentary job or study.
6) 14:00 – 16:00 – excellent time for routine work that does not require special strength
At this time, the body is still busy digesting the food it received for lunch. All efforts are directed towards this process, but not towards mental assault to solve difficult problems.
7) 16:00 – 18:00 – another chance to work hard
Ideal time for brain sketches. The food is digested, all systems are working as normal, the brain is ready to produce extraordinary ideas. To bring mental abilities to a peak state, they can be trained. Special webinars will help you concentrate and produce maximum results in a short time. It is effective to apply these exercises regularly to improve your mental abilities.
18:00-19:00 – time to have dinner
Dinner should be light and consist of protein and fiber. For example, steamed fish with a side dish of boiled vegetables. You should go to sleep with a slight feeling of hunger so as not to overload your stomach.
9) 19:00-21:00 – time to practice
When forming the right daily routine, do not forget about sports.
A person who regularly plays sports endures life’s problems almost 3 times easier, he is 20% more proactive in work, creativity, and social life, he is more sociable, he is more self-confident and strives to achieve better results in any area of his activity.
For busy people, this is the ideal time to devote to sports. You should wait an hour and a half after dinner, take a walk in the fresh air or spend time with your family, and then go for a workout. It can take place both in the fitness center and on the street (if you are a fan of running, for example). Here are the basic rules for physical education.
10) 21:00-22:00 – time for evening hygiene procedures
You can take a relaxing bath with mineral salts and perform your own beauty rituals.
11) 22:00 is the best time to go to bed
Regenerative systems are launched in the body, metabolism slows down, and the body goes into a state of rest. Health promotion also occurs during sleep.
15:00. Take a break
No one has canceled the afternoon slump in productivity, but there is no reason to give in to it entirely. Instead of eating something sweet or drinking an energy drink, take a break and take a short walk - at least near the office.
If the craving to eat something is irresistible, then give preference to complex carbohydrates and lean proteins. The former help release energy, the latter make you more alert. Great options include whole grain crackers with cheese, dried or fresh fruit, raw vegetables with hummus, or mixed nuts.
Why is it good to have a routine?
A daily routine is useful for children and adults, since at certain times of the day the body has its own needs and level of activity. If you take these factors into account, the day will be as productive as possible, and all actions performed will be the most effective.
The benefit of following a daily routine is to obtain the following results:
- improving the quality of sleep, ensuring proper rest;
- strengthening immunity, improving health;
- stabilization of emotional and mental state, strengthening of the nervous system;
- sufficient physical activity;
- complete digestion and absorption of food, prevention of excess weight gain;
- improving the functioning of all internal organs and systems;
- rational use of working time to complete planned tasks;
- having more free time.
A properly designed daily routine should take into account the individual characteristics of a person. However, it does not have to be clearly scheduled by the hour. Specific times are usually specified only for basic physiological functions - sleeping and eating, as well as for those events and actions that must be performed by agreement with other people. In all other respects, it is quite acceptable to have a time interval so that the schedule does not strain with its obligatory and predetermined nature.
An important advantage of a daily routine is that the body develops a habit of repeated actions. This will allow the internal physiological clock to adjust at a certain time for work, rest, eating, playing sports, etc. In this case, even not very pleasant, but obligatory actions will not cause internal resistance. A systematically and reasonably loaded body and psyche will not experience excessive stress, chronic fatigue or emotional burnout. Even the most difficult and eventful day will pass comfortably if all events are planned in advance.
22:00. Go to bed
No matter how hard you try to protect yourself from daytime stress at night, it can still overtake you. Various little things help in the fight against it. Turn an alarm clock with an LED screen against the wall, and keep the bedroom cool (about 18 ° C) and dark (the absence of light also helps produce melatonin). Don't think about how to fall asleep quickly - just breathe.
If you still can't sleep, turn on relaxing music or white noise, write something in your diary, or do something small and boring that you keep putting off.
Daily routine as the basis of a healthy lifestyle
What does it mean to lead a healthy lifestyle? A healthy lifestyle consists of several important components:
- proper nutrition;
- exercise stress;
- rational daily routine;
- hardening and strengthening the immune system;
- personal hygiene;
- maintaining mental hygiene (ability to cope with negative emotions);
- family planning and development of sexual culture;
- health promotion and preventive procedures.
Most modern people are susceptible to various diseases due to non-compliance with healthy lifestyle rules. This is why it is so important to maintain a daily routine for a healthy lifestyle.
“How ridiculous are the demands of people who smoke, drink, overeat, do not work and turn night into day that the doctor make them healthy, despite their unhealthy lifestyle,” - L.N. Tolstoy.
There are various technologies and channels for creating a healthy lifestyle. Among them:
- social: media, educational events in educational institutions and workplaces;
- infrastructural: regional and federal environmental control, preventive institutions;
- personal: standardization of everyday life, the individual’s value system.
Thanks to the above channels, improving the health of each individual person becomes a problem on a national scale. Various institutions are opened and funded that are ready to tell the population what it means to lead a healthy lifestyle: health centers, research centers, institutes for promoting a healthy lifestyle. It is here that the latest technologies for teaching a healthy lifestyle and the skills to maintain it are being developed.
Owl or lark: does it matter?
Scientists have long divided people into two categories, depending on their degree of productivity at different times of the day. These are "owls" and "larks". The latter wake up easily in the morning. In the early hours they are cheerful and active, but by the evening they are tired and cannot do important things. Owls, on the contrary, have difficulty waking up, and their maximum activity is achieved in the evening and at night. Obviously, when planning a daily routine, it is necessary to take into account the person’s psychotype. And, for example, important meetings for night owls should not be scheduled in the morning.
However, in the modern world, early risers have an easier time, since most of the work in the office or production begins early in the morning. Scientists are confident that any person, in principle, with a strong desire, can change their biorhythms. Each of us is capable of turning from a “night owl” into a “lark”. However, this will require willpower, patience and the ability to adhere to certain rules in achieving the goal.
Morning of modern man
A new day for a healthy body should begin no later than six o’clock in the morning, if you adhere to the correct daily routine.
Not everyone finds it equally easy to get up at such times. It has been observed that teenagers suffer the most. Their body stubbornly resists waking up in the morning. There are scientific explanations for this phenomenon.
The problem of a heavy morning rise was first studied in 1962 by the French speleologist Michel Sifre:
He conducted a series of experiments studying human biorhythms. He spent several months in the cave without a watch and proved that people have their own timekeeping mechanism. Our physiological needs depend on the biological clock, which tells us what and when we need to do, and what kind of daily routine is needed for a particular person.
Everyone has an internal clock, but each of us works differently, and everyone has their own correct daily routine. The average human cycle is just over 24 hours.
Some people live on a shortened cycle of 22 hours, while others can increase it to 25 hours. We are accustomed to dividing most of humanity into larks, whose daily cycle is short, and owls, whose clocks lag behind the average cycle.
How easy a person is to get up in the morning is determined not only by his daily cycle:
- This indicator is affected by age. Scientists have found that all babies are larks. By the age of 10, they sleep longer and longer, and this rhythm lasts up to 20 years. Afterwards, the person again begins to tune in to an earlier rise.
- Scientists have not yet found a pattern in the dependence of awakening on age. But researchers have proven that if the characteristics of adolescents were taken into account when drawing up the school schedule, and the student’s daily routine corresponded to his internal clock, the quality of education would improve. And if people oriented the correct daily routine to their biological clock, their productivity would be much higher, and it would not in any way affect their health.
- Even if you got enough sleep in the morning and feel that you are ready to do great things, do not rush to be active. In the morning hours, your internal rhythms change. Scientists have proven that an increase in blood pressure and a decrease in the elasticity of blood vessels occur in the first hours after waking up. Statistically, the likelihood of a heart attack is higher between morning and afternoon. By changing the daily routine of a person with blood pressure or heart problems, you can significantly improve his health.
Daily routine of a successful person. Example: Winston Churchill on working at home
Everyone understands that Winston Churchill, as head of the British government, had irregular working hours. However, despite everything, he managed to keep up with everything and stick to his daily routine. You will be surprised, but waking up at half past seven in the morning, Winston was in no hurry to get out of bed: lying down, he read the latest press, had breakfast, sorted out his mail and even gave out the first instructions to his secretary. And only at eleven o’clock Churchill got up, went to wash, get dressed and went down to the garden to take a walk in the open air.
Lunch for the leader of the country was served at approximately one o'clock in the afternoon. All family members were invited to the feast. Within an hour, Winston could easily communicate with them and enjoy the company of loved ones. After such a pastime, he began his duties with renewed vigor. Not a single day of Winston Churchill's work passed without a long nap. And at eight o’clock the family and invited guests gathered again for dinner. After this, Winston closed himself in his office again and worked for several hours in a row. Thus, the head of the British government managed to combine work with personal communication with family and friends. And this certainly made him a person not only successful, but also happy.
Time is money
Every business person knows how to make money. But how to manage time - only a few. There is even a special science - time management. It is taught by those who do not know how to create a daily routine so that time works for a person, and not vice versa. You need to start by analyzing your daily routine and identifying holes into which useless time is leaking. It may only be ten to fifteen minutes. However, even these are important. They may not be enough to complete the tasks assigned for the day. The second thing you need to do is outline your goals: both short-term and long-term. It is clearly formulated desires that move a person towards their achievement. Otherwise, success will not come. After this, you can plan your time. There are seven very effective tips that will help you cope with the task:
- The 70/30 principle. It is impossible to plan the whole day. Set aside 70% of your time and schedule tasks. Leave the remaining 30% for unforeseen circumstances and force majeure.
- Today - for tomorrow. Don’t be too lazy to make a written to-do list for the coming day. This will allow you to manage your time wisely and arrive at your scheduled meetings without being late. At the end of the business list, you can write praiseworthy phrases: “You did great! But don’t relax!” or “Keep it up! But there is still a lot to do!” They will motivate you to solve your problems.
- Remember that the main activity occurs in the morning, so try to plan most of your activities in the pre-lunch time. It becomes easier psychologically when you realize that half of the assigned tasks have already been completed, and there is still a whole day ahead. Then lunch time can be devoted to short rest and personal calls. And after the meal, hold a couple of not very important business negotiations or a small meeting.
- Take breaks! Be sure to rest every hour for 10-15 minutes. This method will allow you to work more productively and not get tired ahead of time. In moments of relaxation, you don’t have to lie on the sofa or smoke in the toilet. Use this time profitably: do a warm-up, water the flowers, rearrange folders on the shelf, read the press or get some fresh air.
- Be realistic about your capabilities. You will waste a lot of time and health on achieving unattainable goals. Set yourself tasks that you can definitely solve.
- Always clean up your work area at the end of the working day. This will help save you a lot of time in the future and will allow you to put your thoughts in order. Always keep important things in the same place and within easy reach.
- Get rid of those things that you don't need. A person is used to leaving things “for later”, in case they come in handy. Look around you, if you haven’t used something for several months, without a doubt throw it in the trash.
To plan your time, you can keep a diary, notepad or regular notebook. Write down goals and objectives, thoughts and ideas there. And be sure to create your daily routine. A successful person can be seen from afar!
Taking care of yourself and loved ones
Adults, when making a plan for themselves, sometimes pass it on to their children. Many people try to make their child’s schedule as tight as possible so that he doesn’t waste time. But children are not adults and their routine should be different.
To raise a child correctly, you need to teach him the correct structuring of time. Use yourself as an example to explain important points.
When organizing your child's schedule, make it so that he has free hours. This is the peculiarity of children's time. After attending school and clubs, he should receive a share of rest. After class, at least 2 hours must pass before doing homework. Get your child used to doing homework, but don't take up his free time.
The correct daily routine for a schoolchild:
- Climb.
- School.
- Mugs.
- Rest.
- Homework.
- Rest.
- Housework.
With the right plan, you can raise a responsible and disciplined child. Knowledge about the value of time gained in childhood is imprinted throughout life.
Practical recommendations
“The dullest pencil is better than the sharpest memory.” Write down your ideas using diaries, special programs, or just a sheet of paper. The routine displayed on paper will constantly remind you of things to do.
Don't be disingenuous
– in the initial stages, include in your schedule what you do throughout the day. Add to the schedule those items that will be accurately completed. So, if you can’t go to the gym for a long time and add this item to your schedule without doing it, this is not the best solution. The daily routine must be followed.
Consider physiology
– each of us has needs and, while creating a mandatory routine for every day, we cannot neglect them. Staying up late, giving up personal hygiene and eating as and when you want is not the best choice.
