Creating Routines You Love: How Morning and Evening Rhythms Support Sleep, Mental Wellbeing, and a Fulfilling Life

In a recent sleep seminar, someone said to me:

“Yes, but you’re unique. You’ve always had discipline — you were a synchronised swimmer.”

And yes, that’s true. I was introduced to discipline early in life.
But I want to gently challenge the belief hidden inside that comment.

Discipline is not something you are born with.
It is something you can develop — at any stage of life.

What truly creates consistency isn’t force or willpower.
It’s meaning.
It’s knowing why you are doing what you are doing.

Why routines matter more than we think

Our bodies are rhythmic by nature. We are designed to move with light and dark, activity and rest, expansion and contraction. When we create regular morning and evening routines, we support our circadian rhythm — the internal clock that regulates sleep, hormones, digestion, mood, and energy.

When this rhythm is supported:

• Sleep becomes deeper and more restorative

• You can fall asleep as you hit the pillow

• The nervous system feels safer and more regulated

• Anxiety reduces

• Mental clarity improves

• Emotional resilience grows.

Routines are not about rigid schedules.
They are about creating predictability and safety for the body.

And yet, many people say:
“I’m just not disciplined.”
“I’ve never been good with routines.”
“I don’t have your kind of structure.”

Discipline is not personality — it’s purpose

Here’s what I have learned through my own journey and through working with others:

Discipline grows naturally when you are clear about your why.

When a habit is connected to something deeply meaningful — your health, your peace of mind, your sense of wholeness — showing up no longer feels like punishment. It becomes an act of self-care.

And the body responds quickly.

The biology of feeling good when you create new habits

When you begin a new routine and repeat it consistently, your nervous system and brain start to associate that habit with reward:

• Dopamine is released when you do something new or purposeful — it’s the “motivation” and “learning” hormone

• Serotonin increases when you feel grounded, balanced, and quietly proud of yourself

• Endorphins are released through movement, breath, cold exposure, or stretching — easing stress and tension

• Oxytocin arises when your routine feels nurturing, safe, and self-connecting. 

Over time, your body starts to crave the feeling that the routine gives you — not because you force it, but because it feels good.

This is how habits become sustainable.

Finding your WHY 

Most people say:
“I want to sleep better.”

That’s a beautiful starting point.
But let’s go a little deeper. Keep asking: ' why?'

Why do you want to sleep better?

• So you have more energy

Why do you want more energy?

• So you can do the things you love

Why does that matter?

• Because you want to feel alive, engaged, and present

And why is that important?

• Because you want a fulfilling life

• You want to feel whole

• You want to feel content

• You want to feel calm and at ease within yourself.

This is then your why.

When your routines are connected to this deeper intention, the small sacrifices — going to bed earlier, getting up earlier, choosing consistency over comfort — suddenly feel worth it.

On the other side of routine is calm

What I see again and again is this:

On the other side of building rhythms you love, a deep calmness arrives.

A deep sense of:

• “I’m okay.”

• “I trust myself.”

• “My body feels safe.”

• “Life feels more spacious.”

This is not about perfection.
It’s about returning to what is natural.

Creating routines that support your circadian rhythm is not about control — it’s about coming back into relationship with your body.

And no matter your age, your past, or your story, this is something you can begin at any point in life.

Small steps.
Consistency.
Rooted in a why that truly matters to you. 

Follow me on social media and find out my routines and my 'WHY'.