What would you like to change in your daily routine

How to Change Your Daily Routine to Increase Productivity

The one constant in life is ‘change,’ right? As we work to improve our lives, we will likely find that we have habits or routines that hold us back from our goals. Here’s how to change your daily routine to increase your productivity so you can make the most of your goal-setting for more intentional living!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through an affiliate link, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. You can see my full disclaimer here.

I’m a very routine-oriented person. Even though I knew that about myself, this past year has opened my eyes to just HOW routine-oriented I am… And, apparently, so are many other people I’ve talked to.

In March of 2020, things changed practically overnight, and I suddenly couldn’t finish the things I was used to doing on a daily basis. My productivity was at a standstill, and I realized just how much I missed the routines I had worked so hard to put into place.

I’ve worked from home for years, so it seemed like the whole shift so many others were experiencing shouldn’t have affected me so badly. But it did. My younger son was home and trying to do virtual learning for the final two months of his senior year. My older son had just started a new job, but suddenly found himself at home. My husband was now at home every single day.

So just because being at home every day wasn’t new to me, it didn’t mean there weren’t major upheavals in household routines and attitudes.

Without my long-established daily routine, I had a hard time even remembering tasks that normally weren’t a problem to accomplish! That’s when I realized that I needed to be able to adjust my daily routines for changing times so that I could feel like a productive person again.

I needed to become more adaptable — not easy for a creature of habit like me! It takes me a long time to adapt to changes, which is exactly why this post wasn’t published until now. But hopefully these tips will help you if you’re struggling with your current routine — or lack of one!

How Habits Drive Daily Routines

Our habits drive all of our daily routines. We do things like brush our teeth, feed the dog, or put our shoes away often without thinking about it. Those are habits.

We can develop good habits such as putting something away after we use it by consciously repeating the same healthy action again and again.

Likewise, we can develop poor habits such as not throwing away our trash by repeating less-than-desirable behaviors over and over again.

Once behaviors become almost automatic, they’re officially called habits. You can modify habits with effort and time. However habits have some stamina and sometimes you will find old habits resurfacing when you least expect them (such as when you’re super tired or stressed).

All of us have both good and bad habits — those habits and routines that increase our productivity as well as those that hinder it. The goal is to recognize our bad habits and routines and change them in order to improve them and our lives.

So whether you’re looking to change your daily routine because you’re in a rut and seeking simplicity or out of need due to things outside of your control, here are some helpful ways to change your routine and change your life for the better.

How to Change Your Daily Routine

At this point, I’m willing to bet that at least part of you is sitting there thinking ‘how can I change my daily routine?’ #amiright

I get it! It’s a completely understandable question to pose when potentially facing a task that can feel daunting. Let me put it this way: when you change your routine, you change your life. In other words, it’s totally worth the effort to make improvements in your daily routine because it will make your life better.

And here’s something that could help in the here and now… If you’re completely out of sorts and truly not getting ANYTHING done, then for a while, you may have to strip your routine right down to the basics.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! It simply means you’re giving yourself permission to take things off your plate and concentrate on taking care of basic needs for yourself and your family.

Once you have the basics under control — probably sooner than you think (maybe only a couple of weeks?) — you’ll be ready to add more productivity habits into your day.

Use these tips to help you recognize routines that can be optimized and how to implement habits to make positive changes in your life.

1. Get Real

Envision your perfectly productive daily routine — but be realistic. Your ‘perfect day’ must account for your current circumstances and capacity.

For example, I have realized that even though many things are ‘back to normal’ in my daily life, I’m still stressed, which means my thinking and DOING capacity is definitely compromised. I have to work within those bounds. If you’re like most of us, you’re likely dealing with similar emotions and hurdles.

So keep it simple. Set your priority every single day — ask yourself what ONE thing you must accomplish even if nothing else gets done. Write that task on a sticky note and keep it in view until you’ve completed the task — instead of a massive to-do list that depresses you every time you catch sight of it.

You also need to keep in mind that most things will probably take longer than you expect, which is another reason to keep your expectations and goals on the lower side while your implementing changes.

But speaking of that to-do list, you should definitely take a few minutes every evening or morning to do some planning. Write it down! Because believe me, NOT having to keep all that stuff in your head really helps! Just don’t dwell on the full list all day long.

2. Read Books About Forming Good Habits

Reading books written by someone who has gone before you and learned how to do exactly what you’re wanting to do is inspiring, motivating, and encouraging. If you find it easier to listen to the audiobook version, download it and listen to it while you do other activities.

Here are some recommendations:

3. Take Small Steps

I think most people DON’T do well with major changes or going ‘cold turkey.’ If you do better with that, good for you! However, if too much change at once completely throws you off, it’s okay to make small changes over time.

In fact, small little swaps in your routine can help you make those changes into habits faster than it will take you to adapt to large sweeping changes. Here are some ideas:

4. Schedule in Self-Care

It might sound like an oxymoron, but in order to be more productive, you actually need to take better care of yourself. Do you find a soaking bath relaxing and rejuvenating? Schedule it into your day (or week)!

Start by identifying which activities will benefit you physically and mentally, and then also list which are the most fun and relaxing for you. Then take your daily planner page and schedule them into your day.

Remember, exercise is an important part of self-care. It not only does a body good, but it does a mind good too. Getting your blood moving during the day helps improve focus and mental clarity, which will help you be more productive! You could hit the gym or just as easily take a walk at lunch.

Practicing daily self care — even if it’s only for 15 minutes a day — will help you feel your best. And that, in turn, will help you be more productive.

5. Complete Your Least Favorite Tasks First

We all have activities we dread. One of mine is unloading the dishwasher. I can’t explain it, but it’s just not my jam.

Whatever that dreaded job is for you, get it out of the way by tackling it first. Write it on your list so you can feel the satisfaction of crossing it off, even if it’s only a 5-minute task.

You’ll have more energy by doing it early in the day. It’ll also make the rest of the day seem easier once that job is out of the way!

Imagine if all it took to power up your productivity every day was taking 5 minutes to unload a dishwasher, fold a load of laundry, or answer one email. 😉

6. Reduce Your Screen Time

We tend to spend a LOT of time on screens these days, and some of it even feels productive. But after hours on a screen, your brain starts turning to mush. Unfortunately, depending on your job, you may not have the luxury of simply turning off the screen.

Wondering how to change your daily routine when it comes to screen time? Try to condense your time on a screen into ‘power tasks’ where you focus intensely for 25-30 minutes and then take a break.

I recommend taking more frequent ‘brain breaks’ by scheduling them into your daily routine to help your brain stay fresh. You’ll be amazed at how much that can help increase your productivity!

7. Spend 10 Minutes Tidying Up

A messy house creates stress which causes you to be distracted, lose focus, and not function at your peak performance. When our homes and lives are free from clutter, we perform at a higher, more productive level mentally and physically.

Clutter also causes you to spend more time looking for the things that you need. Spending 10 minutes picking up may sound impossible now, but give it a try and you’ll find the time you save more than makes up for the time you spend picking up clutter!

How to Change Your Daily Routine Final Thoughts

With this list of things you can change in your daily routine, you can take the necessary steps to Build Your Best Life.

It doesn’t always require tons of time or work, but instead just a willingness and effort to be more mindful about how you spend your time.

Don’t forget to grab your daily planner page to help keep you on track with your new routine…

Did you enjoy this post? Know someone else who might like it? Please take a moment to share on Pinterest, Facebook, or your favorite social media… (Click the sharing buttons at the bottom of the post.) Thank you!

IELTS Mentor «IELTS Preparation & Sample Answer»

Nav view search

Navigation

Search

Q. 1. What would you like to change in your daily routine?
Answer: I would like to change a couple of things in my daily routine. First, I would like to wake up a bit earlier in the morning so that I could do some physical exercise. Secondly, I would also like to spend lesser time in watching television after coming back home from my work.

Q. 2. Are all your days the same? [Why/why not?]
Answer: No, all my days are not the same nor should we expect them to be the same. Sometimes, some of my days are passed very smoothly without any major cause for concerns while some other days can be hectic and really long because situations change due to other people or conditions which are beyond our control.

Q. 3. Tell me about your typical weekday and your typical weekend.
Answer: My typical weekday starts in the morning when I get ready to go to work after eating some light breakfast. My office closes at around 6 pm and then I come back to my home. Then I watch some marathon TV (after finishing my dinner) for a good 3 hours before going to bed. My typical weekend is nothing special because I remain busy for the most part doing some important house choirs in order to help my family apart from some occasional visit to some favourite restaurants of mine.

Q. 4. What is the balance of work/study and free time in your normal day?
Answer: Unfortunately, the balance of my work life and free time is not so good because I have to work long hours. Besides, when I am not working, either I am studying to improve my job-related skills, doing some house choirs, or helping my elderly parents and family. So, going out and enjoying some free time to relax and have fun is not something I can do that often.

Q. How a daily routine can help us do more each day?
Answer: A daily routine can help to do more each day in several ways. First, when we have a daily routine, we know exactly what our priorities are, and how long time we should spend in order to take care of those priorities every day. Secondly, when we have a daily routine in place, we know exactly how much time we would spend on our leisurely activities. Finally, when we have a daily routine, we develop a habit of doing things regardless of distraction and circumstances around us.

Q. How important is it to arrive early in your country?
Answer: Unfortunately, arriving early in my country is not really that much important these days because people seem to be competing with each other in arriving late no matter how emergency the situations really are. In reality, most people in my country don’t even think of arriving early unless they are offered some extra “incentives” to do so. Besides, arriving early in our big cities is not always possible because of bad traffic.

Q. How can modern technology help people to maintain their daily routine?
Answer: Technology can help us to “work smarter” in order to maintain our daily routines. In fact, technology can decrease our labour needs by providing greater access to information, enabling timely and informed decision making and working fast among other things. For example, with a smartphone or laptop in hands, we can do some works at home or important office works while we are actually travelling to attend an important meeting and thus allowing us to do multi-tasking. Finally, some useful software applications are there for us to plan and manage our daily routine. These applications also let us track our daily tasks and help plan ahead.

Q. What kinds of jobs require the most patience?
Answer: In my humble opinion, more or less all kinds of jobs require the utmost patience if we really want to do our jobs thoroughly and professionally. But, to be more precise, jobs of medical doctors and medical surgeons indeed require the most patient because sometimes their jobs make the difference between life and death. Besides, teaching kids is also kind of a job that require utmost patience because kids can be very “unreasonable” and “handful” sometimes in the classrooms.

Q. Is it always better to be patient in work (or, studies)?
Answer: They say that “patience is a great virtue”, and I also happen to believe in this “timeless” proverb. So, I think that it is always better to be patient in work (unless, of course, our jobs are deliberately trying to push us away) because «patience» would almost inevitably pave the way for changing things for better in work. Besides, patience in work would also set us apart from the rest of the “crowds” in work and thus sometimes allowing to land on a better “opportunity” at our job.

Q. Do you agree or disagree that a student who follows a daily routine does better than someone without any kind of routine?
Answer: Yes, I would agree with the view that a student, who follows a daily routine, does better than someone without any kind of routine mainly because “practice makes it perfect”, and following daily routine means “practising everyday” little by little. Having a daily routine also means that a student is sincere and determined to do well with his or her studies, and this kind of determination, sincerity and discipline is bound to bring success for that student sooner or later.

(2022) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Daily routine – Free Lesson

IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Daily routine

Questions and Answers

1. What would you like to change in your daily routine?

I would like to get up earlier in the morning than I do now. Next, I would like to take up regular exercises in a gymnasium. Apart from that, I would like to leave office/ university early to walk in the park for an hour. Apart from that, my current daily routine is all good.

2. Are all your days the same?

Not really. My usual office/ university days and days off are quite different. While in a typical day I remain busy at office/ university, I mostly stay at home during my days off. The routines are quite different as well. During my longer holidays, my routine changes and they are quite different than other busy days.

3. Tell me about your typical weekday and your typical weekend.

Well, on a typical weekday, I get up early in the morning, take a shower and eat my breakfast. Then I hurry for my office/ classes and the bad traffic kills some time on the roads. After I reach the office/ university, I need to concentrate on my work/ study & classes and I return home at around 6:30 pm. I eat my dinner at around 8:30 pm, read the daily newspapers or a book, watch the news channel and browse the internet. I study/ spend time with my family till 11:30 and then prepare to go to bed. I usually sleep at around 12:30 and always try to read something or listen to music before I sleep. If I have an exam/ office deadline, I study/ work till late night

On the contrary, during my weekend, I wake up late in the morning, grab the newspaper and look at the headlines and in some interesting news sections. Then I take a shower and eat my breakfast. I watch some TV programmes and then go outside to meet my colleagues/ friends who live nearby. I spend some time outside and then return home before lunch. In the noon I take a nap and in the evening I either go to a shopping mall to buy necessary things or visit a theatre to enjoy a movie with friends/ family members or go to a park to walk. In the evening I either play video games or spend time reading books or browsing the internet. I usually take my dinner at around 10.30 pm during my days off and go to bed after 1.30 am.

4. What is the balance of work/study and free time in your normal day?

Well, I think I can maintain a good balance between my work/study and free time in my daily routine. When I am at home, I spend my time with my family members. I have some of my personal interests and hobbies that I have not quit. I can manage time to spend some quality times with my family members even during the weekends. I meet my friends regularly and spend time with them as well. Overall I am happy with my daily routine as it let me maintain my work/ study life separate from my personal life

5. Do you have any hobbies or interests? What are they?

Well, I have numerous hobbies and interests including collecting coins, collecting stamps, reading books, watching movies in the theatre and updating a blog. I like to update my blog and spend around 1-2 hours daily to write for this blog. This is a blog related to technology and I am very happy to notice the increase in daily visitors. I have more than 300 coins from different countries and they include many old coins that are no longer in use. I love to collect new coins and stamps whenever possible. I love to read books, especially fictions and watch movies in theaters with friends and family members mostly in days off.

6. How did you become interested in (the interest or hobbies you have mentioned)?

Well, I got interested in collecting coins mostly because one of my uncles had this hobby and in my childhood, I found it both fascinating and educative. I started collecting stamps possibly because this is a common hobby when I was a teen. This is something I still feel passionate about. Reading books is a habit and hobby I possibly inherited from my grandmother who was a voracious reader and a wise woman. Watching movies in a cinema hall is something I myself found enjoyable and attractive. Finally writing the blog was an academic requirement at first and then I realised the usefulness and possibility of it later on.

7. What is there to do in your free time in your home town/ village?

In fact, there are a variety of activities someone can do in my hometown. Enjoying the sunset beside a river is a common interest of local people. They often enjoy boat riding, playing football, fishing and similar activities. Young people often play cricket, badminton and table tennis. There are also few large libraries where book lovers can enjoy their time. Someone new in our hometown can visit the local photo gallery, museum and public library.

8. How do you usually spend your holidays?

I mostly spend my holidays with my family members. Typical days are busy days and I scarcely get time to spend the whole day with my family. That’s why my first preference on my holidays is to spend some quality times with my family members. Apart from that, I often hang out with my friends in the evening or play outdoor games with them

9. Is there anywhere you would particularly like to visit? Why?

Well, I would love to visit Rome because of its historical significance and tourists attractions. It’s been quite a while since I have I planned to visit this city specifically to see Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Roman Forum, Piazza Navona, St. Peter’s Basilica, Piazza del Campidoglio and Vatican Museum.

10. What do you usually do in your spare time?

As I told you, I mostly spend time with my family members and friends in my spare time. I often watch movies with them, play football and chess, and go out for shopping. I also read story books and maintain my personal blog in my free time.

11. What is your favourite colour? Why?

Blue is my favourite colour. This is probably because it is the colour of the sky and represents serenity, tranquility, nature and a decent personality.

12. Do you like the same colours now as you did when you were younger? Why/ Why not?

Yes, blue has always been my favourite colour. Apart from that, I had little interest in purple and green colour in my childhood that I started liking in my late teen ages.

13. What can you learn about a person from the colours s/he likes?

Colour preference can represent the psychology and personality of a person. From the preference of colour of a person, we can learn about his background, personality, choices and many other psychological aspects.

14. Do any colours have a special meaning in your culture?

Yes, white and red is the colour of our nationality and flag. White represents peace and serenity in our culture. Though red has a different meaning in our culture, it is perfectly okay to use red to show our respects to our country and freedom.

15. Do you prefer relaxing at home or going out in the evening? Why?

That actually depends. If I stay home the whole day, I prefer going out in the evening. In case I stay outside the whole day and return home in the evening, I prefer staying at home rather than going out again.

16. When you go out for an evening, what do you like to do?

I call my close friends to check out what they are doing and whether they are busy or not. If they are free, I either choose to visit a park and spend time there with my friends or arrange an outdoor game like cricket or badminton. Sometimes I go out for shopping in the evening if this is necessary or enjoy a movie in a movie theatre.

17. How popular is this with other people in your country?

I would say this is quite popular among the mass people in my country. Many of them like to visit parks or any recreational place in the evening. Young people prefer to play outdoor games while females mostly prefer to go out shopping. The number of people who enjoys movies in a theatre is also very large and I can feel it every time I go there.

18. Is there any kind of entertainment you do not like? Why/ Why not?

Yes, there are certain types of activities that other people find entertaining and interesting but I do not enjoy at all. For instance: playing any games that might physically hurt others is something I never enjoy. Mocking others and making silly comments just to hurt others’ feeling is quite abominable in my opinion. I never understand how someone can enjoy such heinous activity! Ahh, watching rubbish and boring soap opera which basically has no real plot or creativity is something I dislike a lot. Finally, listening music very loudly is something I never enjoy as it annoys others in most of the cases.

19. What kinds of things make you laugh?

Watching funny and humorous TV serials like ‘Friends’, ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and ‘How I Met Your Mother’ often makes me laugh. I also enjoy and laugh when I see my 4 years old nephew doing something funny or serious. He seems like have got a sense of humour and a responsibility to make me laugh Apart from that, I laugh when I see any cute animal playing or doing something interesting. Another thing that makes me laugh is the stupidity of young and adult people, but often this is more of pity than pure laugh.

5 Easy Ways to Simplify Your Daily Routines

It’s no secret that daily routines can bring joy and purpose to your everyday life. Routines ensure that the important things are prioritised and—in theory—they make life simpler.

Having said that, I know from personal experience that things don’t always go to plan! If you’re not intentional with how you create your routines, they can occasionally lead to unintended consequences such as added stress or even guilt.

After all, who hasn’t decided to implement the “perfect morning routine”… only to realise after a few days that you’ve bitten off more than you can chew? You end up giving up on the idea and feeling worse than before you started.

I know this firsthand because I struggled for years to create meaningful daily routines—you know, the kind I could actually follow through with!

It all felt like a mystery to me… until I realised (as always!) that the key is simplicity. Here are five ways I simplified my daily routines. These tips have completely changed my approach and I hope you’ll find them useful too.

Why Create Daily Routines?

In order to simplify your daily routines, I think it’s important to clarify WHY we create them in the first place.

While the details will undoubtedly be different for everyone, ultimately all routines should serve the same purpose: ensuring that the important things are accounted for every day.

This might involve spending quality time with family, learning new skills, making time for rest, keeping a tidy home or saving for the future. Whatever matters to YOU, routines are a way of making sure that the most important things get prioritised.

Keeping this front of mind is essential because it’s easy to get distracted when creating your routines. After all, a quick Google search reveals thousands of “best daily routine” suggestions. There is so much we think we *should* be doing—but what are you really trying to achieve?

Ultimately, the choices you make should reflect your personal priorities. Get this wrong and I can guarantee that you’re setting yourself up for failure. Instead of empowering you, your daily routines will end up feeling like another chore on your already overflowing to-do list. (The last thing anyone needs!)

So to recap, get clear on the purpose of your routines first—and then the following tips will help you simplify and follow through.

If you’re not sure where to start, then I invite you to check out my course Values + Vision! Together, let’s get crystal clear about what matters most to YOU.

Enough with spreading yourself thin and trying to make everyone else happy. Your time and energy are precious, so stop wasting it on things that don’t deserve your attention.

Instead, learn how to align your life with your personal vision. Step into your power, make yourself a priority and start living your truth. Click here to get started today!

“As I had previously worked on living a value driven life I wasn’t sure I would get anything more out of this, but The Values + Vision course challenged many of my thoughts and I believe it will increase my abilities to live my best life.” — Jennifer W 46 Glen Cove, Values + Vision Student

5 Ways to Simplify Your Daily Routines

Now that you’ve made an intentional decision about what to include in your daily routines, let’s talk about how to simplify and put them into action!

WORK WITH YOUR NATURAL RHYTHMS

My number one tip for creating daily routines is to work with your natural rhythms. There’s no need to do things the hard way! Instead, keep things simple by paying attention to what feels natural and easy for you.

For example, let’s say that you want to include more physical activity in your daily routine. Your first instinct might be to start going to the gym every morning. It sounds like a good idea and it works for a lot of people … but before you decide, I invite you to think about how you naturally feel throughout the day.

I know some people swear by their morning gym workouts but personally, I’ve tried it and it never felt good. My body tells me that I feel my best when I have a slow start to the day.

With this in mind, it doesn’t make sense for me to force myself into a 6 am spin class. More than likely, I’ll never make it out the front door—and after a few days of beating myself up for not going, I’ll completely abandon the idea.

I don’t like punishing myself so I choose to do what feels good instead. This looks like gentle yoga at home, an early afternoon pilates class, or a long walk in the early evening. I actually follow through with these plans because I’m listening to my body and doing what feels natural.

BUILD IN FLEXIBILITY

My next tip doesn’t work for everyone—I know there are some people who adore strict daily routines—but for me, flexibility is SO important.

As a work-at-home mum with a toddler (and another baby on the way!) my free time and energy levels are all over the place. My daily needs are always changing and to be completely honest, I crave variety! Too much structure definitely leaves me feeling unsettled.

I’m sure a lot of you can relate … so how can we reconcile this with our desire for daily routines? The solution is to be intentional about building in flexibility.

There are a few ways you can do this. First, consider making certain types of activities part of your routine but be flexible with the details.

For example, when I’m home with my daughter I always prioritise self-care during nap time. This is non-negotiable BUT I’m flexible with how I practise self-care. Sometimes it’s a nap, sometimes it’s journaling, and sometimes it’s doing annoying tasks like booking appointments. I give myself the flexibility to listen to my body and do what I need most.

Another way to work flexibility into your routines is to be generous with your timelines. I’m currently suffering a lot from pregnancy insomnia, which means I give myself permission to sleep in when I need it—but this doesn’t mean I abandon my morning routine altogether. Instead, I’m flexible and I simply follow my routine at a time that works for me (even if it’s early afternoon!).

It’s simple but that’s the point! Don’t give up when things don’t go exactly as planned. Just adapt and do the best you can with the time and energy you have available.

START SMALL

One of the biggest reasons why people fail to stick to their routines is because they try to do too much at once. You don’t need to start ten new habits overnight; instead, be intentional about choosing one thing to focus on at a time.

Go back to your purpose—what are you trying to achieve with your routine? Get clear and then decide on ONE small change that will help you move forward. Do that for a few weeks until it starts to feel like a natural part of your day and then you can add something else.

Slow and steady, my friends! It works and it feels better too.

REFLECT OFTEN—WHAT’S WORKING + WHAT’S NOT?

Next, it’s important to regularly reflect on your daily routines. What’s working well for you and what’s not?

Again, I know it sounds simple but I think sometimes it’s easy to forget that your routines are there to serve YOU. Just because you decided to start a journaling habit doesn’t mean you have to do it forever. It’s completely OK to change your mind and adjust your routines when needed.

Sometimes things don’t add value to your life the way that you think they will. Or sometimes something will work for a while … but then our needs change. It’s normal so don’t feel pressured to keep mindlessly doing something just because it’s what you’ve always done.

Check-in with yourself and make sure that your daily routines are still working for you and if not, don’t be afraid to make changes.

EMBRACE IMPERFECTION

Finally, the easiest way to simplify your daily routine is to embrace imperfection. Life happens and things don’t always go to plan. This doesn’t mean you should abandon your routines.

Instead, remember that you can always pick up where you left off. Every day provides new opportunities and your daily routines are simply tools that will help you live life to the fullest. Give yourself permission to live a beautiful, messy life. (This is true for everything, not just your daily routines!)

Daily Routine Examples

If you’d like to hear more about my daily routines—what they look like and how I practise what I preach—check out:

Are you a fan of daily routines? What do yours look like and how do you keep them simple? Let us know in the comments! x