Having a routine can make you feel more grounded and prepared for the day ahead.

“Carrying out routine activities reduces stress by making the situation appear more controllable and predictable,” said Indumathi Bendi, a primary care physician at Piedmont Healthcare.

As it reduces stress, your routine can also benefit your mental and physical health. Eating habits, exercise patterns, sleep schedules and more can impact how you feel and function.

Because of COVID-19, routines have become more important now than they’ve ever been before. Many of us are under stay-at-home orders, working from home for the first time, and have our families and children with us. These environment and schedule changes can be difficult and cause stress.

But there are things you can do at home to maintain a routine and take care of your physical and mental health. Use these tips to help keep a routine in place while staying at home.

1. Stick to a sleep schedule. According to the National Sleep Foundation, going to sleep at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning can regulate your body’s internal clock and improve your sleep quality.
2. Do daily activities at the same time every day. Taking care of daily activities, such as the dishes, helping kids with homework or taking out the trash, at the same time every day helps you create a routine at home and helps your family and children know what’s expected of them.
3. Schedule meal and snack times. Try to eat at the same time every day. This gives you time to plan and gives your family a break to look forward to.
4. Take care of your physical health. It can be hard, but try to maintain a routine to take care of your physical health — including personal hygiene and making time every day for physical activity.
5. Be flexible. This is new for everyone. It will take trial and error to find routines that work for you and your family. Be flexible and remember that you are trying your best during a difficult time.

You can also incorporate self-care tips from the MHFA curriculum to your daily routine, including relaxation therapy and increasing your exposure to light to manage your mental health and well-being.

If these tips don’t work for you, consider reaching out to a loved one for additional support. We can all #BeTheDifference for each other.