A Rigid Routine Is Key to a Healthy Life
Experts say that to stay well, we need more ‘zeitgebers’ — things like light exposure, exercise, and mealtimes
When the pandemic first hit, stay-at-home took away the normal order of your day. Schedules were thrown out the window, only to be loosely pieced back together.
During a time when mental and physical health are more important than ever, that’s not great, experts say. In fact, experts say that it’s time to tighten up your routine. After weathering the pandemic for the last few months, it’s time for a change.
Routine is where humans thrive. A recent survey from USC’s Center for the Digital Future found that roughly one-third of adults say they miss having set routines in their lives. But it’s more than comfort. “Our bodies naturally want to create rhythms for everything from hormone release to digestion, cognitive functioning, and athletic ability, body temperature, and alertness,” says Christopher Winter, MD, owner of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine. As your body knows what to expect, it can calibrate responses so you can function at your best. “Your brain doesn’t do things accidentally,” he says.
With the shift of stay-at-home orders, schools being closed, and WFH, you lost the main anchors. “As we got…
