Develop your daily routine to avoid pandemic struggles

When your everyday life is the same, it is easy to know and get into your day-to-day routine. Many students probably had become accustomed to a daily schedule, but one global pandemic later, and hundreds of MHS students are struggling to find some normalcy. 

During an uncertain time like this, it is easy to get lost in the days and lose sight of things that you used to do so easily. So what can we do to help our days flow more smoothly, and not get so jumbled? One thing that many experts recommend: keep your daily routine. 

Take it from Junior Connor Heitman. “I think it’s very important to keep a routine in these times because for most people, a sense of direction is important, and having goals and a daily agenda can help people to stay sharp mentally and physically, as well as providing them with something to do to keep them busy,” said Heitman, who has spent his quarantine with a routine that surely keeps him occupied and in a good head space.

He says his daily routine goes something like this:

“My day starts normally around 8 a.m. I go downstairs and make myself breakfast. I then hop on my computer and do some daily school work and see what else I need to do that day. Then, I’ll work out and go play some basketball up at Kurtz and maybe shoot around with some friends. I’ll come back, eat lunch, go fishing, and help my dad out with whatever needs to get done around the house, be it yard work, any kind of maintenance or any DIY (do it yourself) projects we have going on. I’ll then eat a family dinner, shower, and depending on the night, attend Zoom meetings for various different groups. I’ll then play a little Xbox and go to bed.”

Heitman surely has his days down pat. Below are 10 reasons why keeping a routine during quarantine will keep you sane. Heitman is able to do these on a daily basis, and gains many benefits from it. 

1. Having a daily routine creates structure, and with structure comes productivity, in a time where all we want to do all day is lay in bed and watch Netflix. 
2. Having a routine will allow you to be more productive. Keeping a routine in your days will allow you to get more accomplished. Ranging from doing your schoolwork, to working from home, or even more simple things such as cleaning your room, or taking your dog on a walk; the little things in life like this will make all the difference. 
3. A routine instills good habits. For example, before the virus, say you weren’t very well with keeping a routine, and most days you were all over the place. In exchange, you can try to establish a daily routine, and for after quarantine, you will now have a very well-layered routine for the rest of your days. 
4. One word: Prioritization. Being able to prioritize the tasks you need to accomplish throughout the day will allow you to see which tasks need to be done first, and which are not as important and can be done later that day, or in the week. 
5. Having a daily routine can reduce stress. Our days are so packed most of the time that it can be hard to have to remember to do simple things. Having a daily routine will create muscle memory for the simple things, and leave room for others. 
6. Your routine will help break bad habits. Instead of sleeping in until noon, try waking up at 9; not only will it save you time in your day, but it will help you feel more rested and more healthy. 
7. Routines will allow you to have a healthy balance of your days. With a routine it allows you to stay focused and organized, which results in a healthy balance of your life. 
8. Having a routine from day to day will also help in the area of sleep. It is proven that with a daily routine, your body will feel as if it has accomplished much, and will completely and fully shut down when it is time to go to bed.
9. Having a routine creates more time for you. By creating your daily routine, you are sure to get things done faster and more efficiently. At the end of the day, you will have more time to do things that you enjoy and truly make you happy. 
10. Routines will make it easier to transfer back to the real world. In a time like this, very shortly we will be transitioning back to what we deemed normal before. Having a routine will make that easier when you need to get up much earlier. Creating those habits now will make the transition after quarantine a lot easier. 

So whatever you may be doing today, take the time to try and plan out a daily routine for tomorrow. Try taking on this stance and see how drastically your days will change.