Although I am certainly not an early bird, I love the early hours of the morning when no one else is up – just me, the birds, and a cup of coffee in my hand.
Granted, I don’t succeed in waking up early every morning, nor do I roll out of bed with perfectly tousled locks and a mysteriously flattering T-shirt nightgown. That being said, creating a routine for self-care and “me time” is important, particularly as academics rev up and summer vibes are no longer vibing.
Making a daily routine for yourself – whether in the morning, afternoon, or late at night – can give you energy for the day ahead, or rejuvenate and recenter you after a long day.
There’s no need to do everything on this list, and there are a plethora of other activities to choose from. Ultimately, I think making time to relax, regroup, and reflect is an exercise in intention – not rigidity!
Here are some activities that I’ve incorporated into my morning routine – hopefully they will inspire you to create and follow your own.
1.) MORNING COFFEE.
This is probably already in most college students’ morning routines, but I seriously look forward to waking up and enjoying a cup of coffee with my breakfast. It’s nice to have a coffee maker in your room (I had the good fortune of snagging a free coffeemaker!), but Starbucks and even COG coffee (although debatable) can be good alternatives.
2.) Read (in some form).
Here’s where flexibility comes into play! Originally, I had planned to read from a physical book every morning, but I find that my morning brain is not even remotely interested in intense reading. Instead, I usually scroll through the blog posts of some of my favorite bloggers. Reading is reading – whether it’s about traveling, recipes, cats, or celebrities.
3.) Get caught up on the news of the day.
It’s always a bit disorienting (and embarrassing…) when I forget to skim through the news in the morning, arrive at class, and find that everyone is talking about some major thing that happened while I was sleeping. I think it’s important to try to stay informed, while realizing there’s so much happening in the world, we can’t possibly know everything. I’ve downloaded the New York Times app and the Skimm, but there are plenty of other apps and websites to choose from depending on the person.
4.) “Reflect” in some way: journaling, doodling, meditating, etc.
The act of “reflecting” can take many forms. For me, it’s often just staring out the window and thinking, but it can also be five minutes of journaling or two minutes of meditation. I am always looking for new ways to reflect, and am realizing that what works one day may not work the next.
Again, it’s important to be flexible, and realize that there is no need to journal in perfectly calligraphic handwriting or meditate for X number of minutes everyday. Do what works best for you in the moment!