I love having a routine. I thrive when I have my entire day already planned out before me and all I have to do is follow along. However, this was not always the case and I was not always this way. In high school, it felt like I was just running from one activity to the next. I had no structure in my life and I always felt the burnout creeping into my mind. Right before I went off to college, my dad sat me down and strongly advised me to start setting a consistent routine for myself. It’s obvious that I won’t be able to follow it perfectly each and every day, but a solid structured routine will allow me to always have something to fall back on when I start feeling lost or overwhelmed.
As a junior in college now, I can confidently say that I have primed a pretty solid day-to-day routine for myself that works with my schedule. I have found that it grounds me and lets me stay more focused on school work and different opportunities instead of constantly worrying about the little things. Here I am going to be sharing some things that I have implemented into my daily routine that I believe are very helpful in helping you get back on track. These things may seem simple and obvious, but how many of them do you actually do every single day or enough that is it truly part of your routine?
- Making your bed every morning
Yes, this seems silly and I hear so many people make the argument “Why should I make my bed if I’m just going to get in it and ruin it in a couple of hours”. However, sometimes, the task of just getting out of bed and starting your day can become really difficult. Making your bed nice and neat every morning allows you to check off a task as completed right away. Your room is left looking a little cleaner and you start the morning feeling just a little more put together than when you first opened your eyes. At the end of the day, if you feel like you’ve gotten very little done, you can go to bed knowing that at least you have made your bed instead of feeling like you’ve completed nothing.
- Eating without doing homework or studying
This was a huge game-changer for me. I used to try and eat quickly in between study sessions or completing assignments. This led to me ruining my relationship with food and oftentimes skipping meals. Nourishing your body is vital to a more balanced college experience. If you feel like you have no free time at all, schedule times to eat, and in that little block of free time, put away all your homework and thoughts about classes. Take this time to watch a show, listen to music, eat with friends, or just have a quiet moment to yourself before the chaos of college ensues all over again. Doing this really helped me enjoy food in a way that is healthy and allowed me to take mental breaks during my day to recharge my brain and body.
- Implementing daily movement
No one said you have to go to the gym today and get a workout every single day. Oftentimes, that is an impossible task with how busy your day may become. I’ve noticed however, that if I try to at least take a walk, go for a run, or make it to the gym on a day-to-day basis, I start feeling a lot better both mentally and physically. Taking breaks from assignments and studying is a great way to let your brain maintain and comprehend new information. Try to take study breaks by getting up and physically moving around for 30-60 minutes a day. Taking care of yourself physically during college is just as important as taking care of yourself mentally. Don’t put away being active by forcing yourself to study longer and longer. Your brain needs a break!
Here are some quick bonus tips that could help you restructure your routine:
- Journaling multiple times a week can act as a mental brain dump and help you express your feelings more freely.
- Staying hydrated will help boost your productivity, better your mood, and improve your sleep. It is a key step to better your entire day overall, get a cute water bottle and get to work!
- Making time with friends and family! Take time to reconnect with people the people around you by planning dates, phone calls, or messaging throughout the day
I could probably add about 100 other things to this list to help you add more structure to your college routine. However, I believe these are three that are simple, yet completely effective in helping you to restructure your day-to-day. I hope you can take something away from my advice and I encourage you to always make time to care for yourself. Your mind, body, and soul will always come first before anything else!