Create Schedules, a Good Practice for Our Mental Wellbeing
BY: Neighbors’ Consejo|
In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world, it can be easy to let our daily routines and schedules fall by the wayside. However, having a consistent and structured schedule can bring a significant benefit to our mental health and wellbeing. In this short article, we will explore the importance of schedules in maintaining good mental health, and provide tips on how to establish and stick to a healthy routine.
“A schedule establishes a predictable routine that reduces stress and improves efficiency. It makes decision-making easier, eliminates uncertainties, and builds healthy habits to manage your time and energy better. It can be a part of productivity planning and goal management [1] .” Additionally, it helps you have better productivity, spare time, delegation, fewer mistakes, task ownership, contingency planning, progress tracking, fewer conflicts, cost savings, etc.
According to The Northwestern Medicine [2] , “an effective routine can help reduce stress, which can lead to better mental health, more time to relax and less anxiety”. Ramon Solhkhah, M.D., Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, affirms: “while many of us complain about how busy our schedules are, it represents expectations and patterns that are an important component of good mental health [3] ”.
Then, how to create a daily schedule [4]?
- Write everything down
- Identify priorities
- Note the frequency
- Cluster similar task
- Make a weekly chart
- Optimize your task
- Order the task
- Stay flexible
Additionally, you can keep these tips for using your daily schedule:
- Remember that it takes time to build a habit
- Adjust your schedule as needed
- Return to the schedule after disruptions
- Grant some leeway
In short, schedules are crucial for our mental health. They provide structure, routine, and a sense of control, which can reduce stress and anxiety. That is why we invite you to schedule yourself, organize your time and place your pending, goals, activities and meetings on a schedule so that you can make your day to day more productive and thus improve you emotional wellbeing.
[1]https://www.profit.co/blog/task-management/importance-of-scheduling-tasks-and-its-benefits/#:~:text=A%20schedule%20establishes%20a%20predictable,productivity%20planning%20and%20goal%20management.
[2]https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/health-benefits-of-having-a-routine#:~:text=An%20effective%20routine%20can%20help,emotional%20well%2Dbeing%20and%20energy.
[3]https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/HealthU/2020/06/02/why-routines-are-important-for-mental-health#.Y_f743ZBwQw
[4]https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/create-a-daily-schedule