22 Aug Tips for setting up a successful routine for September
Over the summer, our body clocks adapt to the lighter evenings, eating and going to bed later, and if we have time off, we break our weekly routine with added days off, and long weekends.
When September arrives, and it’s back to school, college and work, the sudden change in routine can be a shock to the system. However, it is also traditionally the start of the new school year which remains in our mindset, so this is an excellent time to build a morning routine for success!
Set your alarm early at the same time every day
A good night’s sleep and routine is vital to help strengthen dendrites. Maintaining a set routine for sleep is proven to help us to have more energy, better concentration and more effective cognitive skills. Waking up refreshed enables us to start our morning routine with the best positive attitude for the day ahead.
Ensure that you go to bed at a regular time that gives you the optimum number of hours sleep that is right for you.
Keep the alarm at the same time every morning – both when you are working and at weekends to maintain your sleep routine. Instead of the usual clock alarm or the same radio station, set your alarm using a phone app with your favourite feel-good song to be your trigger to feel positive as you wake up.
Eat a healthy breakfast
A healthy breakfast will provide fuel to energise you both physically and mentally. Taking time to eat a bowl of porridge with fruit, or a protein based breakfast such as scrambled egg will set you up for the day.
Eat a healthy breakfast to fuel your concentration and boost your physical stamina.
Review your Goals, Affirmations and Life List
Review your Life List and examine each area of your life – work, family, personal goals, exercise, friends – highlighting the positives to take forward into the Autumn, and consider which goals you want to prioritise, and give more time and energy.
Revise your affirmations and write down your short term and long term work and personal goals. Writing down your plans will enable you to have the mindset to be fully focused and gives you a greater chance of success. Make sure that your affirmations are in the present tense, clearly worded, emotional, visual, and challenging but achievable.
Write down a list of your daily goals to achieve and prioritise them.
Writing down daily tasks can break down bigger goals or projects into manageable chunks and you can enjoy the satisfaction that you have crossed off a task. Writing a list enables you to visualise the task as part of the bigger picture, so that you can prioritise tasks within the day. You can also plan your day so that you can be your most productive and work on creative or most difficult tasks when you feel most energised.
Start a new diary and calendar for your new goals and routine
A new diary and calendar can help you to reorganise and ensure your work and personal priorities are given the focus they deserve. Use time management tools and technology to become more structured.
Many new courses, exercise classes, social groups, and activities such as new play rehearsals begin in September so this is an ideal time to take on new challenges, and fit them in your new calendar and weekly routine. Adding a new goal and related activity in your diary ensures it is fitted in your routine, and you can consciously create the regular habit and change your behaviour so you are more likely to succeed.
Set yourself the goal of starting a new Exercise Routine and make sure you fit the sessions in your diary/calendar. Write down your SMART goal and affirmation for your achievement, and fit your sessions into your diary so that you can positively create the new exercise habit.
Be Thankful
Research reported in Robert Emmons’s book Gratitude Works! A 21 Day Program for Creating Emotional Prosperity found that people who wrote their positive thoughts in a Gratitude Journal each day were more satisfied with life and healthier.
Give yourself time each day to appreciate the positives in your life and write them in a Gratitude Journal or fill in an online Gratitude Blog.
Spend five or ten minutes meditating at bedtime to clear your mind of the stresses of the day to ensure a peaceful night’s sleep.
By investing in yourself through goal setting and living as healthily as you can, you give yourself the best chance to achieve personal success. September is a great time to start a new routine for success!