Daily Routines/Rituals for Happiness, Focus, Productivity, etc.

[Overtures]

What are your routines?

My schedule is always in flux, so I never get to fall into a routine. I also have a bad habit of staying up late and looking at my phone. Which almost always means I feel bad the next morning. Eyes red.


But I'm usually a happier dude if I wake up early, between 6-8 and get a breakfast in.


Exercise is also a huge boost that I only recently discovered. It's not so much that it makes me feel great all day, but it definitely gives my mood a boost afterwards and gives me some more energy to focus on something like work.


What say you?

 

[LEWIS540]

I never leave the house without a good shower............and I very rarely shower.

 

[Higus]

I'm going through some transitional shit in my personal life and its always been easy for me to get sunk in depression. Its easy for me to spend a day doing nothing but eating junk food and playing videogames when I'm feeling stuck. I've been working with a therapist and she's helped me realize that depression is a part of who I am, and that it serves a purpose. When I feel depressed, it is my brain trying to tell me something or protect me from something. I need to acknowledge what that is and work on my improvement.

I'm trying to develop my own routine. This isn't really prescribed by anyone that I know of, this is just something that I made up on my own and am trying to work out the kinks. Basically I give myself a task to "do something _____" and I can be a little creative about how I achieve that goal. I've had to do a lot of thinking about my own triggers and behaviors when I'm depressed, as well as the things that nourish me. I end up focusing a lot on my health, cleanliness, and art to combat depression.

Daily rituals:
1. Do something productive - I usually focus on cleaning, because I get really messy when I'm depressed. Even something small like making the bed is better than nothing
2. Do something active - Go out for a walk or go to the gym
3. Do something healthy - Go to the gym, meditate, go to bed early or eat a healthy meal

Weekly rituals:
1. Do something fun - whatever your idea of fun is. I try to hang out with friends or take the dog on a hike
2. Do something artistic - I like to draw and learn to play the ukulele. I could also go to a museum or even see a concert. Someday I'd like to learn to sing
3. Do something good - I try to distinguish between "good" and "nice" for my own sake. I don't have a real definition of one from the other only that doing good takes some measure of more effort than being nice.

The nice thing about this is that I can cross off multiple items with one action if I feel like it. Taking my dog for a long hike would fulfill my daily requirement to do something active and healthy and weekly requirement to have fun. Donating a bunch of old stuff to Goodwill could fulfill my daily requirement to do something productive and weekly requirement to do something good.
Anyway, I think it helps me a little. I get home from work and have to ask myself if I've done anything productive or healthy. If not, I might just do the dishes or eat a salad. Even if it's really small, I'll just get it off my list and its better than if I didn't do it. Even flossing as something "healthy" is better than not doing it, right? The point is to force myself to do something that will make me less depressed, to take some control over my life and well being, even if its just taking out the garbage.

 

[Kanuck99]

Sex helps.

 

[Bull Terrier]

Early morning exercise is my main one, alternating lifting and cardio on different days. Makes me feel great most days.

 

[Oblivian]

I have some form of exercise at least 6 days a week. A new thing that I'm doing is stretching every morning before work while I drink my coffee. I think that helps. On the weekend, I try to have at least one project to complete like a house repair. I want to always feel productive.

 

[minute bull]

 

[Overtures]

Anything outside of the usual?


I heard an entire theory about how a cold shower first thing in the morning can cure depression

 

[Seraldo Babalu]

Regardless of how inconsistent your schedule is, if you stick to a few key principles/activities, you can boost the quality of your life. Your first waking hours can dictate the quality of the rest of your day. For starters, a big, healthy breakfast cannot be understated. Start strong with plenty of fuel (big breakfast). Coffee is good, but it's easy to get carried away. I try to keep it under 4 cups per day. Try to get plenty of sleep. People get carried away with constructing these complex, difficult to manage and therefore easy to fail routines. Once the routine fails, they feel like a failure, and sink further into depression. Keep it simple. Big breakfast, healthy snacks throughout the day, good sleep. Once you've mastered these, you can add to this list. Reading, exercise, etc.

 

[minute bull]

I heard an entire theory about how a cold shower first thing in the morning can cure depression

What's that theory? Because that sounds like that's the entire theory. That one sentence.

 

[Kardashians]

Pet bunnies
Kiss bunnies
Talk to bunnies
Feed bunnies treats

 

[Johnson]

Anything outside of the usual?


I heard an entire theory about how a cold shower first thing in the morning can cure depression

My water heater went out last month. Cold showers are depressing as hell.

 

[HunterSdVa29]

blaze one for the nation

 

[EL CORINTHIAN]

I've been working with a therapist and she's helped me realize that depression is a part of who I am, and that it serves a purpose. When I feel depressed, it is my brain trying to tell me something or protect me from something

I find this very interesting. I saw this one Ted talk about stress and how changing our perception of it to more of a response to help us can benefit our lives greatly. This seems inline with that.

 

[MaureenCretis]

- Prep bags and kit the night before. Do this before doing anything else.
- 8 hours sleep.
- Exercise before work. Exercise at lunchtime.
- No breakfast. Fruit for snacks. Small lunch. “Normal” dinner with the family.

 

[Overtures]

What's that theory? Because that sounds like that's the entire theory. That one sentence.

The guy who shared this theory with me looked like a total douche.

He basically said that self-doubt is tied to the belief that you can't accomplish things, so the first thing you do in the morning is take a cold shower to prove to yourself that you can accomplish something you don't want to do.


The day is started with a success.

 

[Overtures]

- Prep bags and kit the night before. Do this before doing anything else.
- 8 hours sleep.
- Exercise before work. Exercise at lunchtime.
- No breakfast. Fruit for snacks. Small lunch. “Normal” dinner with the family.

what are prep bags and kits?

 

[KILL KILL]

Be productive. Accomplish...something. it provides purpose and meaning.

 

[ghoul]

Breakfast

 

[minute bull]

...self-doubt is tied to the belief that you can't accomplish things, so the first thing you do in the morning is take a cold shower to prove to yourself that you can accomplish something you don't want to do.

That makes quite a bit of sense. Here's the same principle in a more acceptable form:



Here it is again in dramatic form:

It's a good thing you attuned to the idea of self-doubt, because usually the solutions you notice with the world indicate the problems you harbor within yourself. Some people have feelings of inadequacy or depression or negativity that are tied to nothing, and so they can't discern the roadsigns and don't know exactly where to begin. Or rather, we know we must begin somewhere -- ANYWHERE -- but sometimes action is too daunting and thereby motivation is destroyed.

It's not the same for everyone, the way we stand in our own ways.

Just remember that when you come face-to-face with your weaknesses, they are not what defines you. You're not forever condemned to them. In fact, those negative thoughts ARE the weakness. And we don't combat negative thoughts necessarily with wisdom or advice -- we combat negative thoughts with right action.

You may not be able to quell the doubt, but you can make a bed. Every victory counts towards the next victory. And you can believe the opposite is true too: Each failure counts towards victory as well. Life is not in the wins or the losses, it's in the playing. Our only crime is not playing.