My life revolves around my routines. I know this is true because during the horrors of COVID-19 when we were all in lockdown, I felt so incredibly down. I sat on my bed questioning the root of this feeling – and then it hit me. Sure, there were many factors contributing to this feeling, but the main one was that I no longer had a routine in place. Every day felt the same. Everything being online made my life feel like a simulation. The act of going to class, the library and extracurriculars made my life feel complete.
Ever since, I have not taken my routine for granted. I absolutely love everything about having classes in person and being able to plan my life around these commitments. Every Sunday I sit down at my desk, go through my syllabi and create a schedule for the week. Doing this has helped a lot with stress and anxiety.
On top of school, I like to participate in other activities that help alleviate the stress that can be caused by school. These things usually include going to the gym, going for coffee with a friend, or calling my family. Having a schedule makes me feel like I have a sense of control over my life.
When I didn’t have a schedule, I never found myself incorporating these healthy habits into my day. I would usually just go about my day attempting to finish all my school work and making no time to go to the gym or go to sleep at a reasonable time. I would also forget to communicate with people I love because I always lost track of time. I would consistently find myself overly engaged in social media because I would get so distracted. Overall, the lack of routines put me in a slump and heightened my stress.
Having a routine has given me a sense of accomplishment. Being able to cross things off of my schedule is so rewarding and gives me a sense of confidence. Oftentimes, I look at my schedule before the week begins and think to myself, “There’s no way I will finish all of this.” But the truth is, practically every time I have – which makes me feel like I can truly accomplish anything I set my mind to.
I truly believe that having a routine is the key to success in university and I encourage everyone to think of some way to organize the chaos that follows busy schedules. Small things such as starting to eat breakfast in the morning every day, or telling yourself you will start incorporating an afternoon walk will make an incredibly big difference.