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Establishing a Routine Supports Mental Health Stability

Gili Dadon Raveh, Clinical Psychologist, Mental Health Division - Meuhedet HMO
6 November 2025

Routine is an important part of our lives that we can not live without. It keeps us stable and gives us confidence, but some people find it boring. To balance the need for routine with the desire to break out of a rut, you need to find the best, safest, and most reassuring routine that does not feel too restrictive.

Many beneficial things happen when you stick to a routine. It makes you feel safe, helps you keep track of time, lowers stress, makes sleep better, and encourages healthy habits. Children in particular need a routine as it provides them with structure and reduces anxiety.

To establish a healthy routine for the entire family, it's crucial to follow certain fundamental guidelines. These include maintaining regular sleeping and waking hours, planning balanced meals, encouraging physical activity, striking a balance between work and leisure, and fostering strong social and family ties. Naturally, this requires maintaining flexibility, exercising discretion, and occasionally embracing spontaneity.

It is helpful to have a backup plan for days when you do not have one, like when there is a crisis in Israel. It is even more important at this point to try to stick to a daily schedule based on the restrictions and offer a variety of relaxing activities. We want to be able to give kids and parents a structured and familiar environment.

Do not be afraid to get professional help if you are having a lot of trouble making a healthy routine or dealing with changes.

Regularity is an important part of our lives, and even though it can be dull, it is actually very good for our mental health. A healthy, well-balanced routine can help us deal with the problems we face every day and make our lives better.

This article will talk about two basic human needs: the need for a clear routine and the desire to break out of the routine and find new experiences. We will talk about how routine is important for both kids and adults, and we will also focus on how to set up a reasonable routine in Israel, where emergencies and war throw routines out the window.

The secret is balance

Our lives consist of cycles of routine: personal, daily, weekly, annual, and developmental. Ultimately, we all have a routine, which fulfills a basic human need for stability and continuity. There is, however, a constant tension between our need for routine and our disgust with it and the search for adventure and excitement.

Many claim that the routine bores them and makes it difficult to remain vital and alert on a daily basis. People often treat routine in relationships as a battle to maintain the relationship's spark. As with any other significant issue, finding the right balance between routine and surprise, the familiar and the new, is crucial. If you listen to the people who live by the routine and make sure it is flexible so it can adapt to new situations, then the routine is helpful, safe, and relaxing without being too tight or stifling.

The advantages of a routine

Routine is critical for our mental health and cognitive function, and its advantages often outweigh its disadvantages.

  • Creates a sense of security and stability
  • Facilitates efficient time management
  • Reduces stress and anxiety
  • Helps improve the quality of sleep
  • Promotes healthy habits
  • Creates a sense of security and stability: a routine provides a predictable framework, reduces uncertainty, and increases a sense of control in our lives.
  • Facilitates efficient time management: a routine makes it easier to plan the day and maximize the use of time.
  • Reduces stress and anxiety: knowing what is expected of us reduces stress levels and allows us to better deal with stressful situations.
  • Helps improve the quality of sleep: a regular sleep routine is important for adapting the body to the internal biological clock, which improves the quality of sleep.
  • Promotes healthy habits: a routine allows us to more easily incorporate healthy habits, such as proper nutrition and physical activity.

Routine is good for children

Children, more than adults, like and need routine. It provides them with a safe and stable framework and a feeling that the world around them is predictable and intelligent, thereby alleviating anxiety and increasing self-confidence. It enables them to engage in free play, focus on learning and fostering independence, secure in the knowledge that they are surrounded by protective boundaries.

A lack of routine may make children feel insecure, bored, stressed, nervous, and even develop problematic behaviors. Even more so for ADHD kids who need to release energy. Denying them this possibility creates a "pressure cooker" effect on the entire family.

Coping with change

It is also important to think about what to do if we have an emergency that forces us to stay home, like a health emergency, a security situation, or something else. We might even receive instructions to remain in the safe apartment space. Unfortunately, such situations periodically occur in Israel and are characterized by many changes and uncertainty.

The first piece of advice I can give you parents is to know that it is okay to be upset at the same time. Without this awareness, you cannot help your children. Understanding that the game's rules are changing is crucial, and you must establish a new routine to replace the previous one. During these times, maintaining the daily schedule in accordance with the restrictions becomes even more important, particularly around mealtime and bedtime.

The types of activities can change from ones that each child does alone to ones that the whole family does together. The aim is to enable us to create a structured and familiar framework for children and parents. The nature of the activities can change, from individual activities to shared activities for all the children in the family.

Ideas for activities when the routine is broken

  • Coloring pages and games
  • Listening to music
  • Watching a movie
  • Tidying the house
  • Playing imagination games
  • Playing with a flashlight
  • Setting up a tent
  • Sprouting legumes
  • Coloring pages, board games, and crossword puzzles are all examples of activities that can be done alone or with others. It is worth remembering that some children play with winners and losers experience great distress, and on such days it is better to avoid them and prefer games that require the cooperation of all players, for example, building with Lego.
  • Music can be a significant component, affecting mood and injecting energy, vitality, and enjoyment from the activities.
  • We enjoy watching a movie together or baking together.
  • Routine cleaning of the house can be a source of pleasure for young children, for example: sorting and arranging socks that came out of the laundry or wiping the cutlery and sorting it in the drawer. Such tasks can generate responsibility and belonging, allowing children a feeling that they are needed and really help
  • Costumes, fabrics, and old shirts that can be used for pretend play.
  • Playing with a flashlight in the dark.
  • Setting up a tent or ‘camp’ in the room or living room.
  • Sprouting legumes.

Worth noting

Worth noting

Store extra creative materials like plasticine or dough on the side, especially for days like this, to keep them occupied for a long time. You can also prepare card games or other board games in advance at home, which you can use when the routine breaks. Replacing the supply at home.

The importance of parental involvement

Note that all activities offered when the routine is broken are not babysitting. As soon as a child feels that a game or activity is being "pushed" on them, they will react by opposing it and seek attention in other ways. Of course, the aim is not for the parent to occupy the children at any given moment, but that their presence be meaningful, that they will know the games, that they will be able to participate in some of them, and that they will accompany some of them with a look or cheers from the kitchen.

Of course, you should remember that a period with an intense presence at home is an opportunity to do things with the children that are usually postponed in the daily routine.
This significant presence is a critical part of the parent's role, giving the children the feeling that they are being watched over and that there is interest in them and in their life experiences, thereby reinforcing the sense of security and the ability to stand up for themselves and regulate their emotional and social behavior.

It is important for parents to know that their mental well-being significantly impacts their children’s mood and function. Children are capable of recognizing when we are weak, impatient, or listless and try using their childish tools to revive and stimulate us. It is frequently an ineffective form of nagging or bullying, and it is important that we can see in this behavior its beneficial significance, that we understand their concern and attempt not to be left alone but to get the parent to be with them, one way or another.

Tips for establishing a healthy routine

There are several important aspects to consider when establish a daily routine:

Try to sleep and get up at the same times, even on weekends. This will help regulate the biological clock.

Eating at regular times provides the body with the energy to properly function, without fluctuations in sugar levels that could affect the energy level and emotional well-being.

Regular physical activity significantly contributes to mental health, increases the levels of hormones that improve mood, lowers stress and anxiety, and improves the quality of sleep.

It is important to include in your day activities that allow you to take a break from daily stress, such as reading a book, listening to music, walking in nature or even in the mall, and more.

Maintaining healthy boundaries between work and private time is critical to avoiding burnout and overload.

Everyone has different preferences and needs, so it is important to find the schedule that fits your lifestyle.

Family traditions and shared pastimes should be incorporated into your daily routine. These create shared memories and reinforce family ties.

It is useful to maintain meaningful social relationships. Social support will help to deal with difficulties and maintain mental well-being.

Important to remember

Important to remember

When things change in your life, your routine should be able to adapt and let you be spontaneous.

In conclusion, a healthy routine is an important tool in maintaining our mental health. It provides a stable framework within which we can grow, develop, and enjoy life. Always remember to listen to your needs and those of your children and adjust the routine accordingly. If you find it difficult to establish a healthy routine or to deal with changes, do not hesitate to seek professional help.