In the midst of what may seem like an apocalypse for some – I can assure you it is not the end of the world. Although the world is on pause, that doesn’t mean your life should be too. The first couple days of quarantine, I’ve found myself rolling out of bed at 2 PM and feeling sluggish throughout the day. The days just seem to blur together after binge watching Netflix until 4 AM in the morning and waking up at 2 PM the following day, I think a couple of people can relate.
If I hop out of bed too late with no plan, the day seems to diminish right before my eyes. I become entirely too lazy to get anything done and time seems to go down the drain. Now that classes have been added into the equation of quarantine, it becomes even harder to get in the productive mindset at home. Luckily, here are a couple of tips to add to your morning routine that set you up for success.
1. Limit morning screen time
I know how much of a habit it can be to reach for your phone first thing in the morning, but I strongly encourage limiting AM screen time. Reaching for the Tik Tok app immediately calls for another hour in bed of endless scrolling, trust me! Although this can be hard, I recommend for the first couple of days in breaking this habit, set a timer for 5-10 minutes then slowly 10-13 minutes, etc. The key is to make progress into not even thinking about your phone first thing in the morning! Whatever it is, it can wait until you have properly welcomed your day.
2. Prepare as if you are headed out the door
Continue with your regular morning hygienic needs and freshen up with a different outfit than what you slept in… just as if you are headed to class. Trust me when I say the reason you do not feel as motivated to do schoolwork or pay attention to that zoom lecture is because you are in this environment setting you up for laziness and sleep! If you are listening to your lectures in your pajamas in bed, then there is no surprise as to why you find it hard to grasp these concepts. It makes a world of a difference when you’re presentable, prepared, and fresh! Personally, I slip on my work-out clothes because, alluding to another tip, fitting exercise in your schedule is also valuable to a successful day!
3. Meditate or Quick Gratitude List
If you’re not much of a meditator, that’s completely fine. However, I want to emphasize how important and beneficial reflective time can be. Starting your day with a minute or two of meditation or mindful breathing can help you keep sane through a time that may make you feel helpless. Start off your day with writing down three things you are grateful for, keywords: WRITING DOWN! Yes, that means reaching for a pen and pad. This can include: a loving family, a specific person, education, food, the list is endless. But make sure you resonate with what you write down and it isn’t a generic list of things to be grateful for. Notes on your phone works too, but don’t let this screen-time distract you!
After writing down three things you are grateful for, write down three intentions you have with your day or week. The key is to make short-term intentions rather than writing down your long-term goals. This can be finishing that assignment a week early or limiting your daily screen-time. Although we can come up with many ideas on how to improve ourselves, it is helpful to make daily reminders so we won’t forget them.
4. Exercise or Sun-Time!
Starting your morning off with a walk has great benefits! According to HealthLine, a morning walk can boost your energy throughout the day, improve your mood, and improve mental clarity! Why wouldn’t you want these benefits? Personally, I like to warm up with a bit of dog-walking action followed by at least 30 minutes of exercise while in a fasted state, but a walk alone has just as many benefits! Being quarantined at home can dramatically reduce your sun-light consumption and physical activity, so make sure to account for that by making more time outside and less time on the screen.
5. Nutritious Breakfast
After my AM exercise, I look forward to the breakfast I get to fill my body with. I make this an exciting experience to help avoid skipping it on these days at home. You are more susceptible to skipping meals when stuck at home, and this isn’t good for your overall energy and glucose levels! These glucose levels can be essential to your brain health, without it, you won’t have the energy to do school work or bring yourself to exercise. Filling your body with sufficient nutrition first thing can set you up for a very productive day, all while avoiding snacking. Being at home can have you feeling more hungry than ever before, and you may find yourself asking “am I hungry or am I just bored?” Trust me, we’ve all been there! That is precisely why filling yourself up with adequate nutrition can reduce your cravings throughout the day. Pro-Tip: Try a protein-heavy breakfast, according to nutrition.org, protein heavy breakfasts benefit muscle health and weight loss by increasing muscle mass, energy expenditure, glucose regulation, and decreasing the desire to snack at night.
6. Act on your intentions
This is the last step of the morning routine, which is to go on with your day with your intentions in mind! Make sure to set yourself up for what you have to do today, what may help you is creating a “I get to…” list! If you’ve never heard of one, it is very similar to a “to-do” list, but with more gratitude. Instead of setting your mind up for these tasks that you “need to do,” you can easily change your perspective when you change it to tasks you “get to do.” Try it out! It can make a world of a difference.
Although this may seem like a lot for people who may not be “morning people,” but believe it or not, these tasks can be done later in the afternoon too! Whenever it is convenient for you, whether you wake up at 8 AM or 12 PM, the first steps of your morning are imperative. No need to switch steps out, there is nothing wrong with a nutritious breakfast at 1 PM because a “breakfast” is simply the first meal that breaks your overnight fast. Don’t be discouraged because you feel behind, take this time to slowly get your mind and body in routine.
Daily routine is important for many reasons: it reduces stress levels, encourages motivation, and creates stability. Sometimes, a stable routine is all you need to feel a bit more in control of your life. I hope this helps you out and remember that you are capable of anything! No matter how overwhelming this time can be, how hard your next exam may seem, or how much homework there may be — you are and always will be in control of your life. Lastly, don’t be too hard on yourself! There is no rush to perfection as life is a journey! Don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers.