Now that my son is back in school, and my husband’s teaching schedule is set (at least for this semester), I find that I feel much better — and it’s easier to stick to my health goals. A lot of this has to do with the fact that now I’m on a schedule.

With summer over, I am settling back into a regular routine. A regular schedule can help you improve your health, as well as improve your productivity, and stay on track. Here are some of the health benefits of a better schedule:

Better Eating Habits

Now that my family is settling into a routine, it’s much easier to plan our meals. We always eat better when we have a meal plan. We have time to plan healthier choices, and prepare them. Without a routine, we often reach for prepackaged foods at the store, or grab takeout. These are not healthy choices — and they can get expensive to boot.

A meal plan helps us better focus our shopping efforts to avoid impulse spending, and we are able to make sure that we have time to prepare our healthier meals. On days when I know that I will be busy, a meal plan helps me choose a slow cooker meal, or we plan to eat leftovers one day. I already feel much better since the amount of unhealthy foods I’m consuming has dropped dramatically since the re-introduction of a schedule.

More Time to Exercise

I include exercise in my daily schedule. I used to just decide to do it if I could find the time, but I find that actually scheduling it in helps a great deal. My scheduled 30 to 50 minutes of exercise each day has already led (in conjunction with better eating habits) to progress toward my current fitness goals.

Your schedule is a reflection of what’s important to you, and if exercise is important to you, add it into your schedule. Regular exercise promotes energy, as well as physical health and fitness.

Better Sleep

One of the pieces advice that is given to those who have trouble sleeping is to find a regular routine. Going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time each day can help you get the sleep you need. And, because your body is used to shutting down at a specific time each day, it becomes easier to fall asleep.

Sleep is very important to your health and well being. Good sleep helps your body processes, as well as helps your mental and emotional health. If you want to be healthier on a more holistic basis, your sleep schedule can have a big impact. Get into a positive sleep routine, and your health will improve.

Work Time

Even though I work from home, I still benefit from a regular work schedule. I am much more productive in the mornings, so I try to arrange my schedule so that most of my work is done before lunch. My work time is more productive when I stick to a schedule, rather than becoming distracted by what’s online, or by other issues.

Not everyone has traditional work to add to the schedule, though. Even if you don’t have a “job,” chances are that you still have work to do. Consider when you are likely to be at your most efficient for running errands, cleaning the house, or taking care of children. Create a schedule of your most important tasks, and tackle those first.

Realize, too, that you schedule work time so that when it’s over you have time to relax and do something for you. Make sure you include some time for yourself, whether it’s a half an hour to read a book, or spending a few minutes on Pinterest. Schedule this time, too, or run the risk of being swallowed up by it and feeling stress as you scramble to get everything else done.

Sticking To A Realistic Schedule

Your schedule should reflect the realities of your situation. My son has piano lessons, Cub Scouts, and 4-H. The good news is that these are all activities that occur on regular days. This means that we can create a routine that includes these scheduled activities.

Not only can a schedule help you include regular healthy activities in your day, but it also helps you maintain a feeling of continuity. My son is much better behaved, and happier, and healthier, when he knows what’s coming. There’s a certain security that comes with a schedule. It can help ease anxiety and stress (things that can cause various physical, mental, and emotional health problems), and keep the body in a rhythm that it can handle.

Consider your family’s needs, and then create a schedule that works for you. While every day won’t always follow the exact same schedule, and there are times — vacations, weekends, and other circumstances — that will take you out of your schedule, an outline for a routine can really help you boost your health.

So, how have you improved your health?