Habits and routines help avoid the urge to scroll on social media. Half my day consists of scrolling through TikTok and Instagram because I can’t decide what task needs my attention next. A therapist suggested I create habits. First, figure out what activities will help you live the best life. Getting stronger would improve mobility and alleviate pain. 

Exercise

Workouts and weightlifting are excellent strategies to gain muscle, so incorporating those tasks into a daily workout would achieve that goal. Exercise can also improve your focus and anxiety.  Breathing is one way I keep my anxiety under control. Some routines I use are Cardio, Kickboxing, Tabata, and Yoga.

Some tips to remember:

• Start small—Don’t jump into an hour-long workout right away. Ten to fifteen minutes, or two sets of ten, is a good idea.
• Listen to your favorite albums while exercising. Most content creators on YouTube use royalty-free songs. The exercises are faster when you have fun.

Meditation

Another technique for stress is meditation. There are apps like Calm or Headspace.

Calm uses sounds and guided meditation to bring clients into a good mental space. Some categories include calming techniques, stories, sleep, and nature sounds. Clients can choose from a variety of modules. Members select the area they want to focus on that day.

Headspace has similar features, like finding sounds and guided meditations. They also have a short video that is motivational or about a health condition (i.e., Sleep). The app has monthly assessments on the facets of your mental health that you are working to improve. Then they change your daily tasks based on your results. Users have three sets of activities. These lessons are available in the app in the morning, afternoon, and before bed.

Tips 

• You may feel dumb at first, but it’ll get better.
• Most apps require a paid membership. YouTube has videos for everything.

Journaling 

The last habit is journaling. Most people think you have to be good at writing. It’s important to remember if someone enjoys something, it doesn’t mean you have to make a career out of it.  Words give you the freedom and the privacy to say whatever you feel.

Habits bring structure to your day and can assist someone in fulfilling their goals.  Journaling, exercise, and meditation are just a few suggestions. Create routines that make you into the ideal version of yourself. Let’s get building!