How Routines Can Make You More Productive
Establishing healthy daily routines is not only part of addiction treatment, but it is a hallmark of highly productive people as well. Creating a routing while living in sober living homes or during outpatient treatment can make your recovery and your life more productive and satisfying.
Many famously productive and inventive people, including Thomas Edison, John Grisham, and Stephen King, share the trait of following strict daily routines.1 The dedication to reaching goals informs this behavior, due to the productivity-enhancing benefits of routines designed to increase what one can accomplish each day.
Why Are Daily Routines So Important to Productivity?
The structure and routine found in sober living programs and facilities encourage daily progress, positive thinking, and commitment to the goals of remaining sober and establishing a new healthier way of living. By creating your own established routines as you leave treatment, you take this new skill to a new level, using what you have learned to teach yourself to improve all areas of your life.
What Are the Benefits of Following a Daily Routine?
Routines serve many purposes in our lives, one of which is to smooth the transitions and create meaningful change. Some of the concrete and purposeful benefits of a deliberately chosen routine include:
- Boosting motivation and providing a feeling of purpose
- Providing stability and helping to avoid triggers
- Making responsibilities more manageable
- Addressing life changes as they occur
- Establishing healthy lifestyle habits
- Creating regular times to spend with friends and family
- Managing daily stress and improving mental health
- Preventing boredom and reducing the risk of relapse
- Encouraging regular attendance at support groups
- Increasing engagement with your recovery community
- Improving sleep and reducing insomnia
Creating Your Own Productive Daily Routine
So, how do you create a more productive daily routine? One of the best ways is to create a list of your daily responsibilities, habits, and the ways you would like to improve or add to your daily routine. Consider these factors to make your day more productive:
- Establish reasonable hours for sleeping and decide when you will wake up each day.
- Schedule time for cooking and eating healthy meals on a regular schedule.
- Add regular time for house cleaning, yard work, or other chores to maintain clean and sober housing.
- Make regular time available for socializing, recovery services, support group meetings, and practicing creative hobbies.
- Schedule exercise into your day, with two times per day being a big productivity and energy booster.
- Set aside time for work schedules or volunteer responsibilities, adjusting your daily routine to work around irregular schedules or shift work.
- Establishing a regular schedule for self-care, including personal hygiene, meditation, or relaxation.
- Leave scheduled “free” time to explore new interests and to allow spontaneity, letting you take advantage of fun opportunities while shifting responsibilities into scheduled open spots.
Making Productive Use of Available Resources
One way to focus and enhance your productivity is to ensure that you are using all the tools at your disposal to achieve your life goals. At RECO Institute in Delray Beach, Florida, we provide comprehensive addiction treatment in a sober living facility that supports healthy routines and sobriety.
During early recovery, creating and maintaining the habits that empower healing is essential to success. Contact us today to find the path to a more productive and fulfilling life for you or your loved one.
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