SFH #22: The Benefit of a Daily Routine ⏱
Science backed methods for your mornings
Research suggests you can improve your performance, health, productivity, and overall success by developing a consistent daily routine.1
Your brain makes an average of 35,000 decisions every day, and the more decisions we make, the more susceptible we are to decision fatigue 😫. Making too many decisions within a single day can lead to low self-control and decreased willpower2. We've all been there before; you get home after a long day, and you have to decide whether you want to go to the gym, go for a run, or cook a healthy, sustaining meal. If you've spent the day debating every little action you should or should not take, the more comfortable option that takes less willpower will triumph during that split second of hesitation. So, a critical reason for planning out your day is to ensure you won't fall victim to decision fatigue when it matters most!
To help conserve your brainpower 🧠 and save your willpower for important decisions, I recommend setting up a morning routine and planning out your day the evening before with basics like meal timing. Don't leave critical choices that affect your health susceptible to decision fatigue. The habit of routine and planning will lead to healthier and more productive actions and decrease the chances of consuming processed convenience foods, skipping workouts, or even making poor decisions in your day-to-day lifestyle.
Take a look at the formula below to start your morning off on the right foot and create flow with your routine. The method called SAVERS comes from Hal Elrod’s book, ‘The Miracle Morning.’
Silence 🤫
Leave your phone behind. Start with a walk or meditation to get started with a calm and clear state.
Affirmation 🙆🏽
“I ______, will be ______.” For example—I Brian, will be a guide for health.
Words become thoughts. Thoughts become actions. Actions create your reality.
Visualization 👁
Visualization increases your desire to achieve your goals and makes you more likely to follow through on them. It works because neurons in our brains, those electrically excitable cells that transmit information, interpret imagery as equivalent to a real-life action. When we visualize an act, the brain generates an impulse that tells our neurons to "perform" the movement.
Exercise 🏃🏽♀️
Exercise increases heart rate, which pumps more oxygen to the brain. It aids the release of hormones which provide an excellent environment for the growth of brain cells. Exercise also promotes brain plasticity by stimulating new connections between cells in many important cortical areas of the brain.
Read 📚
Reading doesn't just fill your brain with information; it changes the way your brain works for the better as well.3
Scribe (Write) ✍🏼
The physical act of writing brings the information to the forefront and triggers your brain to pay close attention. It’s also good for keeping one's gray matter sharp and may even influence positive connections to ourselves and our environment.
See the video below for a visual rundown of this method 📺
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6378489/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tough-choices-how-making/
https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/this-is-what-a-great-book-does-to-your-brain.html