Why is Routine Important for Mental Health?

Over the past few years, the topic of mental health has become less taboo. This is a huge win for humans everywhere because our mental health affects EVERYTHING. You deserve to feel good, to feel motivated, and to conquer your goals. But if you’re facing mental health problems, making progress on your dreams can feel totally impossible. 

One way to start taking control of your mental health is to develop a healthy daily routine. A routine has a ton of psychological benefits for anyone, but especially for those overcoming mental health challenges. Here’s how having a routine can help improve your mental health, plus a list of helpful shows to incorporate INTO your daily routine! Let’s get into it: 

Alleviate your anxiety. 

Our stress levels both center on things we can and can’t control. That means our own efforts can ease at least half the anxiety we feel. We can control things like how often we workout, when we clean the house, and if we hit all of our due dates. When our life is out of control, though, the stress of “when will I get it all done” can totally overwhelm us. 

Luckily, with a good routine, you can have confidence you’ll get everything done. You can take control of your days, hours, and minutes for the sake of your mental health. As your routine proves it can make you productive day after day, you’ll see some of that stress alleviate, replaced with a pattern of accomplishment. Take charge of your mental health with a great routine!

Get better rest. 

Whether you’re getting poor sleep because you’re stressed about your to-do list, or you’re getting poor sleep because you have no set bedtime or wake time, a routine can help. As you get more done with an organized routine during the day, you have no reason to stay up late at night! And, if you stick to a firm bedtime and wake time, you’ll stop feeling like you’re playing catch-up and running on fumes. You’ll feel big boosts in your energy levels with a solid routine! 

Maintain healthy habits. 

If you want to invest in all parts of your wellness (mental, spiritual, or physical health), you need a routine. Right now, considering working out, writing, or reading every day could feel impossible. Where’s the time? Where’s the motivation? 

A routine will confirm you complete your healthy habits every day. You’ll spend less time on time-sucking tasks like scrolling social media, watching TV, and just vegging out, and more time being intentional. Then, in turn, your day-to-day routine will make you feel even better with all the healthy practices you can now include in your schedule. Once you reach this point healing is just around the corner.  

Feel more accomplished. 

Nothing feels better than checking a box or achieving a goal. Likely, with a good routine, you’ll be more productive day to day. You will complete a lot of tasks to be proud of, and this will boost your mood and motivate you for the future. Accomplish more and dream bigger! (You can check out more on this concept with Siffat Haider in her Dream Bigger Podcast!) 

Keep us accountable. 

A routine is like a built in accountability partner. It waits for you every day to cross off that task and move to the next. And, it anticipates a repeat cycle daily. As long as you have your routine written down somewhere, it will push you each day to be your best self—and most importantly, take care of your health! 

How to Build a Good Routine

Make a routine, not a schedule. 

Instead of building a daily schedule, start with a routine. What’s the difference, right? Well, a routine is an order of events accomplished throughout the day. A schedule has set times for each task. Now, having a set time for each activity isn’t a bad thing, but it’s easy to fail with that format. 

An extra ten minutes spent at an appointment and then another fifteen minutes on your run suddenly sets your whole day off. This can be SO stressful! A few days running behind on your routine, and you’ll give up on your new regiment. Instead, simply have a list of tasks and a loose period of time to complete them. 

Start small. 

You may want to workout, journal, meal prep, meditate, and read as you excitedly make your new routine. But, again, success is the goal here! So, start with just a small list of tasks. Even include tasks you’re already completing like “brush your teeth” or “eat breakfast,” just to have some easy wins! But, don’t start with a long list. 

A great place to start when deciding how to build your first routine is with this ILYSM episode “A 101 Guide on Becoming a Morning Person, Creating a Morning Routine & Using Journaling for Manifestation.” Just waking up when you’re supposed to and journaling is the perfect place to begin your new journey!

Allow for change and flexibility. 

Even if you start small and keep a loose routine, you still may need to change things up. That’s okay! To find a routine that works, you’ll need a few weeks of practice. Create a daily routine that works now, and reevaluate weekly to see what needs to be added, removed, or changed. Don’t feel like your efforts were fruitless if you have to switch it up! This is part of the process. 

Write it down and track progress. 

Track your progress somehow. It could be on any number of phone apps, on a whiteboard, or in a journal. Studies have shown that writing down your goals makes you way more likely to accomplish them. Plus, when you write your habits down, you can track your progress to see how you’re doing with your new routine! 

Set goals and celebrate every win.

Set small goals that you can achieve regularly. Then, set a time each day where you sit down with your routine tracker and celebrate wins! Celebrate these wins with something that makes you happy! A snack, a night out, or even an hour in front of the TV. No shame. You’ve earned this! 

Don’t give up. 

No matter what, start your day new. There will be times you fail your routine. There will be tons of times you don’t check all those boxes. It’s OKAY. Just wake up the next day, and keep on going. This isn’t a competition, and the goal isn’t stress. No way. The goal is peace! 

For days when you fail, Dear Media’s podcast team has got you covered. Check out “6 Steps to Reset Your Routine & Get Back on Track” from the Life with Marianna podcast! Don’t forget that resetting is an option, and you don’t need to give up forever. 

Helpful Daily Routine Podcasts

Life With Marianna: 6 Steps to Reset Your Routine & Get Back on Track

Influencer and podcast host Marianna Hewitt discusses the importance of sleep, exercise, and resetting our daily routine. She provides six easy steps to reset and restore your productivity. She does this all with a self-care twist that’s super fun and relatable! 

What We Said: HOW TO CLEAN UP YOUR LIFE

Chelsey and Jaci discuss how to organize and tidy your life. They discuss everything from cleaning up your space to starting a new routine. Cleanse your space, body, and mind with the hosts of What We Said. 

ILYSM: A 101 Guide on Becoming a Morning Person, Creating a Morning Routine & Using Journaling for Manifestation

Anyone else totally not a morning person? Well, Kenzie Elisabeth of ILYSM thinks you can become one. In this episode, she dishes out the best tips on how to wake up earlier and curate the perfect morning routine. This one is a must for the new year! 

Real Pod: My New Morning Routine & Why I Need Structure in My Life! 

Structure in life is vital! Otherwise, as Victoria Garrick explains, you feel chaotic, messy, and STRESSED. With this episode, learn all about how her life got so off track and how she reined it in with a good routine. She believes morning routine is the first step towards better health and wellness. 

The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast: Parenting, Routines, Reality TV, & The Grieving Process

The Skinny Confidential co-hosts have Kristin Caballari on this episode, who is a mom, entrepreneur, and reality star. She has a LOT on her plate, and the team at Skinny Confidential discusses how she manages it all every day starting with a cleansing and centering morning routine. 

What We Said: The Importance of Morning Routines

Chelsey and Jaci discuss the book “The Morning Mind,” which is a self-care book on developing a morning routine. Through reading this book, they discovered great ways to better their productivity, improve their mental health, and boost their overall wellness. The best part? In this episode they share all the info with you, so you can take action and conquer your day. 

With Whit: A Look Inside My Daily Routines & Physical Health 

Whitney Port gives listeners an inside-look at her daily routine. These routines help her manage all aspects of her life while feeling at peace and fulfilled. You can join her on this self-care journey with your own daily regiment. 

The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast: Farrah Brittany – On How She Navigates Reality TV & Real Estate – Morning Routines, Productivity, & High Performance 

Farrah Brittany is a real estate mogul with a successful reality TV career. She functions on a whole other level and tells you all how to do it too! On this episode of The Skinny Confidential Him and & Her Podcast, Lauryn and Michael learn about Farrah’s productivity hacks and her charging morning routine. 

Life with Marianna: My Daily Habits + Wellness Routine

Marianna starts and ends her day with a set routine. This helps her with daily productivity and her mental wellbeing. You can learn about her daily habits and wellness routine with this episode, and start brainstorming how you’ll bookend your day in the new year.

Lipstick on the Rim: Say Goodbye to Your Anxiety & Gut Problems with this 4-Step Morning Routine that Siffat Haider, Founder of Arrae, Swears By

The founder of Arrae, Siffat Haider, chats with Molly Sims of Lipstick on the Rim to discuss how you can get more out of life. If you feel like you’re stuck in the same old, same old, and you’re unable to achieve your goals and accomplish life change, check out this interview! She swears by the 4-step routine she describes in this episode. 

Note to Self: Crafting Your Perfect Morning Routine (+ a Big Announcement)

If you want to start your day with a productive morning routine, but you just can’t do the hours long peaceful and productive 6AM regiment, this episode of Note to Self is exactly what you need. Podcast host Payton Sartain shows you how to create a calm and simple morning routine that works for YOU.  

Raising Good Humans: The Best Promote Independent Thinking, Navigate Challenging Situations, and Shaping Morning Routines 

Morning routines with kids are essential for a happy home. Without a great routine, you start your days with an anxiety-charged, chaotic run-around to get everyone dressed, fed, and driven to their obligations. Oh! And, what about you? You need to get ready too! It’s tough as a parent, so let Dr. Aliza help you shape your family’s perfect routine. 

That’s So Retrograde: Our Morning Routines

No one routine fits all people. So, Stephanie and Elizabeth in this episode of That’s So Retrograde describe their morning routine in detail. It’s a great jumping off point to create your own morning regiment that’ll jump start your day. 

Soul on Fire: Kenzie Burke: Imposter Syndrome, HSP’s, Creating Discipline & Routine, Launching a Brand

When you’re striving for your goals, there are two things that really trip you up: imposter syndrome and motivation. Both of these things can totally kill your dreams. So, take a ride with Kenzie Burke and explore how you can overcome imposter syndrome and become a highly motivated and disciplined person using a set routine! 

Dream Bigger: Morning Routine Tips, How to Become a Morning Person in 2022 and How I intermittent Fast

A morning ritual determines the direction of your day. At least, that’s what Dream Bigger podcast host Siffat Haider believes. In this episode, she’ll help you kick start your new year ultra-productive with a structured morning routine.  

Dream Bigger: How to Maximize Your Schedule, Time Batching, Balancing a Social Life with Work, and All My Productivity Hacks

Want more from Siffat Haider on productivity? This episode is a great part two to the previous one! She discusses routines further, but also shares productivity hacks that help her win with her brand. She’ll also discuss balancing life and work, and give you the inspiration you need to start the next year off right. 

What We Said: Tips to Stay Motivated, Self Discipline, & the Importance of Routine

Here’s another episode of What We Said that will help you elevate your day and achieve more. They discuss why self-discipline is so hard and how they stay motivated to conquer their goals. Achieve all your dreams with the help of a daily routine and podcast hosts Jaci and Chelsey! 

With Whit: Siffat Haider on Delegating Work and Her 6AM Routine

With Whit and Dream Bigger podcast hosts collide for this daily routine episode! Both successful ladies share their routines and give listeners tips and tricks on how to be more productive and organized. 

A daily routine is the perfect way to start 2025 off right. With a good morning ritual or daily action plan, not only will you achieve more, but you’ll feel better! You can also make listening to any of the Dear Media shows part of your daily routine to keep focused on your mental health and future goals.