Fresh Starts

The new year creates the opportunity to reestablish routines the holidays may have interrupted or that just didn’t stick in 2025. And to create new routines for activities we’d like to start, especially those related to our physical and cognitive health.

The benefits of established routines include reduced stress, increase focus and productivity, and support of our overall health. Start with a few current or desired routines, establish a plan to sustain those like day of week/time of day, work the plan, then add new activities as this first group become routine. 

Just a few established routines can make a significant difference to our well-being.

My “first act” upon waking is to drop to the floor for fifteen minutes of stretching exercises to loosen my back and shoulders and start the day feeling more limber and awake. Then making a cup of coffee, sweetened, of course, with llinea™ Monk Fruit, before heading into my office to start the day, typically by 6:30. Our dog, Lucy, eventually joins me, naps in the chair for a couple more hours, then reminds me the next routine is her 2-3 mile walk to “sniff for the news”. While my mornings are quite consistent, afternoons tend to include interruptions that affect my ability to remain consistent with a workout routine. Evenings return to a more routine pace, ending with a good book to wind down, and a brief stretch to relax the back before bed.

A good article with great tips for building routines that stick: Blue Zone Health’s “How to Build a Daily Routine for Overall Health”:

Here’s to enjoying your established routines and building new ones in 2026!