Relying on a series of healthy habits that support your sobriety might sound a little rigid at first. After all, there’s a lot to discover when you allow for spontaneity. However, behavioral scientists reinforce that following a routine and developing meaningful rituals within it puts you more in control of wellness.
Why Routine Is Good for You
Modern life is sometimes unpredictable, which contributes to feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious. Having a daily routine you can count on helps provide an element of stability, which helps you build better resilience.
In an article for Headspace, clinical psychologist Dr. Steve Orma notes “Routine helps with stress. Create a set schedule for doing chores, work tasks, meetings, exercise, paying bills, and all the usual things you need to do. Put these into your schedule. Once this becomes your normal routine, it’s easier to accomplish everything, because it becomes a habit.” He’s also a strong proponent of carving out some “thinking time” into each day to “think through any problems or worries weighing on you instead of letting them build up.”
Northwestern Medicine offers some additional benefits of a routine, which we provide verbatim:
- Better sleep. Your sleep schedule and bedtime habits affect your mental sharpness, emotional well-being, and energy. Maintaining consistent times for waking and going to bed can help you get better rest.
- Healthier eating. Without scheduled time for grocery shopping, it’s easier to have an unhealthy diet by ordering fast food or snacks since they’re often a convenient option. Taking the time to plan trips to the grocery store gives you the opportunity to think about what healthy foods and meals you can incorporate into your everyday life.
- More active moments. It’s easier to exercise regularly when you make time for it. A daily routine helps you stay active, and an exercise schedule or program allows you to budget your time.
- Manage stress more effectively. Stress puts you at higher risk for heart disease and negatively impacts your overall health. An effective routine can help reduce stress, which can lead to better mental health, more time to relax, and less anxiety.
The repetition of routine reduces the number of decisions you have to make each day. For many people, this ushers in a deeper sense of peace as well as mental, emotional, and physical relaxation. Having a stronger center gives you more power to avoid triggers and cravings, which is certainly a boost to your recovery maintenance.
How Is a Ritual Different From a Routine?
A ritual is an activity you assign more importance to or that serves you in a particular way. While rituals are frequently associated with religious or spiritual rites, another definition is “an act or series of acts regularly repeated in a set, precise manner.” Sounds just like a routine, doesn’t it? The difference has to do with purpose: while many routines are practical with a particular goal in mind, a routine can be elevated to become a ritual with a defined intention.
In an article for The Chalkboard, Deepika Chopra suggests we need rituals for various reasons, including:
- To serve as a reminder of “what we actually care about and keep us in close proximity to our purpose”
- To make it easier to stay grounded not only in life but also with our core values and their meaning
- As a form of necessary daily ceremony, whether spiritual or not, to “boost physical and mental well-being”
Chopra says “Rituals increase confidence, provide us with a sense of security, alleviate the weight of grief, and help reduce anxiety. And, above all, rituals are a sure-fire way to increase happiness.”
Can you manifest all routines into rituals? Not necessarily, as that level of existence might be hard to maintain. But within the framework of your recovery routine, you can certainly establish a few key rituals that matter.
Tips for Designing Your Routine
Eager to get started? Try these suggestions from Goalcast.
- Make a list of all the things you have to do daily. This might include the smallest task—taking a shower, for example, or brushing your teeth—to larger efforts, such as getting children ready for school, exercising, and planning healthy meals.
- Then, think about the times of day or night when you have the best energy and focus. Schedule specific routines and tasks during your most productive periods.
- With this information, design a routine based on what you want to accomplish, what adds to your wellness, and how you can simplify key tasks.
- Additionally, start the day with what most interests you and taps into your passion or purpose. This action improves your routine accountability and ensures you’ll accomplish what’s most important to your well-being.
- Take advantage of 30 minutes before your daily downtime to declutter the house, set out work clothes, make lunches for you and the family, and so on. Listen to your favorite music or podcast so you can add even more value to this routine.
- Build in quiet time before bed to center yourself, meditate, shut off electronic devices and read, or anything else that enables better sleep.
On average, it takes about 90–120 days to make routines habitual. Keep track of what’s working and what needs to be modified, and be flexible about the process. Recognize that even if everything implodes today, you can pick up the fragments and start fresh tomorrow.
If you’re curious about crafting more rituals, these books may have some ideas:
- The Power of Ritual by Casper ter Kuile
- Reverence: Creating Ritual in Modern Life by Christine Marie Mason
- Rituals for Every Day by Nadia Narain and Katia Narain Phillips
- The Rituals: Simple Practices to Cultivate Wellbeing, Deepen Relationships, and Discover Your True Purpose by Natalie MacNeil
You, Only Better, at Fair Oaks
Fair Oaks Recovery Center in Sacramento, California, is a licensed Chemical Dependency Recovery Hospital, issued by the California Department of Public Health to addiction rehabilitation and dual diagnosis treatment facilities. We strive to introduce numerous concepts and habits that help you forge the wellness you deserve. If this is the recovery you’ve always hoped for but have yet to find, talk to a member of our admissions team for more information.
