How To Create A Routine

Ever notice how some days feel chaotic even though you know what you ‘should’ do? A solid routine can change that.

You may know some of the health and wellness benefits of creating a routine. Routines can help us make sure we are moving our bodies, eating nourishing foods, and paying attention to our needs so that we are not constantly reacting and stuck in stress response cycles.

They make it easier to consistently practice good habits without relying on willpower alone. Which can feel impossible when our energy is depleted.

But routines don’t have to be added to the list of good-for-us things that we really know we should do but never implement. They can also be as enjoyable as you want them to be a fuel your days with joy and fulfillment. You can create one with a few steps.

Creating new habits through a daily routine takes time. It can feel intimidating to undertake a lifestyle change all at once. So in this post, we’re going to share how to create a routine that you can actually follow. A routine that makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning (yes, really).

Grounded in therapeutic concepts and neuroscience research, you’re about to learn what a routine is and practical steps to build one without feeling stressed or trapped.

A routine is more than a list of tasks that we perform on auto-pilot. Instead, it’s is a structure that you create—customized for your own core values and the life you want to live—that organizes your day.

It’s a system that starts to run in the background to help you restore your energy and opening up more mental resources for other areas.

When you already know what to do each day and the activities that make you feel your best, your brain can conserve energy and reduce decision fatigue, because the pieces of your routine are built in as habitual.

Since you don’t have to spend your time and energy figuring out how you’re going to get outside, move your body, or eat a healthy meal, you are free to focus on creativity, relationships, and other meaningful goals.

Routines also help with forming healthy habits. Repeated actions form stronger neural pathways. Over time, your brain starts to recognize these patterns as default behavior without you even having to think about it.

This is why habit stacking, linking new routines to existing ones, (we’ll talk more about that below!) can be so powerful.

What Is A Routine?

A routine is a sequence of actions performed regularly. You can create routines that are rigid and specific, or others that are general and flexible.

For instance, you may have a more general family routine of Friday Night Dinners with the family (hello, Gilmore girls fans!), contrasted with a more specific routine of waking up at a certain time and eating a particularly breakfast.

Routines help you with form healthy habits. When you move a task from a “nice-to-do” to a habit, you’re shifting it from requiring effortful, conscious motivation to becoming automatic and self-reinforcing.

Here’s a bit of the neuroscience research findings about how this works:

When you repeat an action over time, your brain strengthens the neural pathways that support it (I.e., neuroplasticity)
Neuroplasticity helps your brain recognize patterns and turn repeated actions into default behaviors
Early on, the cortex, you’re “thinking” part of the brain that handles decision-making, is heavily involved when you start a new habit
With consistency, control shifts to the striatum, a part of the brain responsible for automatic actions and long-term memory

This shift in brain function explains why behaviors that once felt effortful eventually become second nature. Which is great for you, because the things that matter to you become naturally integrated into your routines.

Dopamine—the “feel-good” chemical—also plays a key role in this process. Here’s what that looks like:

At first, dopamine is released after you complete a behavior and experience a sense of reward
Over time, your brain starts releasing dopamine at the cue that precedes the habit
This means you’re motivated to take action before you’ve consciously thought about the action

What Are The Benefits Of Routine?

Routines create predictability. They reduce mental load. They allow your brain to anticipate what comes next, which makes your nervous system feel more safe and steady.

They also provide psychological benefits as described below.

Stress Reduction

Following a routine can reduce stress by making life more predictable. Your brain knows what to expect, which lowers cortisol levels and leaves your nervous system in a more calm, parasympathetic state.

In addition to creating supportive routines, it’s especially important for people with high-pressure jobs or complex schedules to learn how to deal with burnout at work.

Support Mental Health

Routines provide structure, which strengthens mental health. Since you are using less mental resources over time as your routine becomes habit, you open up more resources for things like emotional regulation, processing stress, or engaging in creative work.

Routines help prevent anxiety because they give your day a clear rhythm and predictable structure. As we mentioned above, the habits release dopamine when completed which creates a sense of satisfaction in the mind and body.

Helps Build Healthy Habits

Routines help you form healthy habits because repeating actions turns them into automatic behaviors.

Habits take the mental energy out of the equation. Instead of making a list of all the things you wish you could implement, you start automatically waking up earlier and craving movement and sunshine.

Encourages Consistency

Consistency is key. Our nervous systems love to feel safe and know what’s going on.

Plus, following a routine time each day keeps you accountable to staying on track. The brain thrives on repetition. And when you’re routine is filled with activities that make you feel more grounded and yourself, you will only feel better the more you do them.

Physical Health

When habits like movement, balanced meals, and consistent sleep become part of your daily routine, your body experiences less stress and better regulation.

Consistently performing these behaviors supports your circadian rhythms, stabilizes hormone levels, and lowers inflammation. Over time, these small actions compound to boost energy, strengthen the immune system, and support long-term well-being.

Reduce Dread

Once an activity becomes routine or habitual, your brain no longer negotiates whether to do it. It simply follows the pattern you’ve built.

Because of the reward system described above, the motivation shifts from how you feel before the task to how you feel after it.

For example, you might dread working out at first, but once it becomes part of your daily rhythm, your body starts to crave the post-workout clarity and energy, and you get less stuck working through the pre-workout dread.

How To Build A Routine

Using the steps below, you will be equipped to create a routine. Plus, you can more easily replace bad habits with healthy ones, since your brain begins to favor the routines that feel rewarding.

Step 1: Figure Out Your “Why”

Intention is everything. As much as you may want to wake up before the sun or start your day with a large glass of lemon water, you’re going to need to remind yourself of a good reason when you’re cozy in bed and smelling the coffee brewing.

Make a list of the activities you’d like to incorporate into your routine. Include your “why” for each item. Consider what makes these activities important and how they will make your life better.

For example: When I wake up early I have time for movement which de-stresses my body and gets the day on track or I work my best when my brain and body are well-hydrated. Make these specific to your life and goals!

Step 2: Reflect On What Makes You Feel Your Best

Routine is only as good as the activities within them. It’s easy to fall into a trap of trying to add things into your routine that you saw influencers doing on TikTok that don’t actually mean anything to you.

As you’re building your list, look inward and get honest with yourself. What patterns do you notice about what activities make you feel your best? What are some things you’ve always wanted to try but have never stuck to?

I have some tips on emotional grounding techniques and polyvagal tools that can help you brainstorm. Remember to think about how you feel after you complete an activity, even if you dread starting it. Once it becomes habit, the dread will go away.

Step 3: Plan Your Days

Before routines become habit, it’s helpful to write them down in a way that holds you accountable.

You may find that you crave different types of routines—morning routines, mid day, and evening—based on energy levels and creative needs and various parts of the day.

Here are some ideas for routines to fold in based on time of day and objective (e.g., waking up, engaging, winding down).

Morning: Sunlight, movement, cognitive heavy tasks (ideas for a full morning routine checklist here)
Mid-day: Creativity, light exposure, eating balanced meals
Evening: Wind down, yoga, reading
Bedtime Routine: Meditation, getting off of screens, gentle stretching

You may also find it helpful to choose different activities for different days of the week. Perhaps Mondays you cook at home and Thursdays you take a walk with your partner at lunch. Building some routine into the weekdays can give you something to look forward to and help you increase joy throughout your week.

Step 3: Start Small

Don’t overwhelm yourself with a full schedule at once. When we try to take on too many changes at once, it’s way too easy to become overwhelmed and give up all together.

Instead, start with one or two routines you’d like to build in as ritual. Maybe you decide you’d like to wake up earlier for time to drink tea and journal. Overtime, you realize how much you appreciate your morning time and you start adding other light pieces of a routine like movement or reading.

Starting small increases your chance of success. Don’t sell yourself short. Even a five minute meditation or a one minute grounding technique will go a long way.

Step 4: Incorporate Habit Stacking

Habit stacking sounds fancy but it’s simple: you attach a new behavior to something you already do. Start with the activity that is already part of your routine, and then insert a short, specific action right after it.

This strategy works because your brain learns in sequences. The cue triggers the old habit and, with repetition, it also triggers the new one. Consistent pairings strengthen your brain’s cue-routine link, making the new action more automatic over time.

For example, if you brew coffee each morning, add two minutes of journaling right after the kettle clicks off. Or stretch for five minutes after you brush your teeth. Over time, when you smell the coffee brewing your body will be ready to journal. Or once you finish brushing your teeth your body will crave the stretch. Build on what’s already working!

Step 5: Leverage The Habit Loop

Charles Duhigg, in The Power of Habit, describes habits as following a cue-routine-reward cycle.

First, identify the cue that triggers a behavior
Next, define the routine you want to build
Finally, attach a reward that reinforces the behavior

This method makes forming healthy habits easier and helps replace bad habits more effectively and actually frees up mental energy.

Example: if your cue is finishing work for the day, your routine could be changing into workout clothes and doing a 20-minute workout session. Your reward could be the post-exercise endorphin boost or enjoying a refreshing smoothie afterward.

Over time, your brain begins to associate the end of your workday with that sense of accomplishment and energy, making it natural to start craving the movement.

(P.S….my absolute favorite form of non-intimidating movement with sculpt and dance routines here).

Step 6: Keep It Consistent

I’ve said it before…your brain loves predictability. Performing a routine at the same time each day helps it recognize patterns faster and strengthens the neural pathways that support habit formation.

When you do something at random times, your brain treats it as a new decision each time. But when you repeat it at a set time, it starts to anticipate the action before you even begin, helping it become more engrained and sustainable.

For example, exercising every morning at 7 a.m. teaches your brain to expect movement at that time. Over a few weeks, your body begins to feel more alert and ready to move right on schedule. Your circadian rhythm, dopamine release, and muscle activation all start syncing with your chosen time. Your whole body gets on cue.

Consistency creates rhythm, and rhythm builds automaticity, which makes it easier to maintain your habits without having to push through motivation.

Step 7: Allow Flexibility

Life happens. Your routine will support you more if it’s not rigid, allowing you to adapt to unexpected events. Flexibility will prevent you from becoming frustrated or de-motivated if things don’t go perfectly.

Plus, the goal isn’t to run your life on autopilot. It’s to build routine into your life in ways that support you so that you can continue to have the emotional bandwidth to check in with yourself and notice when your needs shift.

Some days you might shorten your workout, swap meditation for a walk, or rest instead of pushing through. These are beautiful moves of self-attunement. We’re going for a balance of structure to support and flexibility to adjust.

Step 8: Give It Time

Dedicate specific blocks for new habits. Neuroscience suggests it takes roughly 66 days to form a new habit. However, research shows that it can range from 18 to 254 days depending on the complexity of the habit. That’s a long time! Don’t get down on yourself or expect your brain to change instantly.

Be patient with yourself and notice small wins. And know that the brain strengthens the neural pathways each time you practice, even if it’s not “perfect”. Over time, consistency compounds, turning effortful actions into automatic behaviors.

Routines are not about perfection. They are about showing up for you.

How Long Does It Take To Build A Routine?

Building a routine is not instant or magic. It takes time for our brains and bodies to adjust. Studies on habit formation indicate a range from 18 to 254 days, with 66 days often cited as the number for a new habit to begin to happen more automatically.

As Maxwell Maltz explained in his research on self-image, it takes time for your mind to accept new behaviors as part of who you are and part of how you live. That’s why patience is essential when building habits and routines.

Consistency and patience are essential. Using the tips above will help you, especially coming back to your “why” if you become discouraged. Remember, your routine is for you. You’re allowed to adapt the routine to fit your needs, energy, and life circumstances.

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s creating patterns that support your mental and physical well-being to give you the best life you could have.

How To Create A Routine