College is all about finding a routine. Your study routine, class routine, and what I am going to share with you, your morning routine. Having a routine keeps you on track, helps you form good habits, allows you to become more focused and productive, and may even reduce your stress levels. Here I provided a list of everything I do each morning to make sure I start my day off right.
Make my bed
Although it can seem annoying or even useless to do, I always push myself to make my bed. It is my first accomplishment of the day and a huge encouragement. With online classes, it also makes my room not seem so cluttered and small.
Complete the Daily Symptom Tracker
I always make sure to complete the Daily Symptom Tracker each morning before I leave my room. Doing this each day around the same time decreases the chance of me forgetting to fill it out, which is essential to keeping our campus healthy and safe during the pandemic.
Find the perfect outfit and get dressed
After my bed is made and I know I can go to campus, the next thing I do each morning is find the perfect outfit. For me, what I wear can change my mood. Putting on jeans even when I would rather just wear sweats to my five classes keeps me encouraged and boosts my attitude. I also never want to waste a good outfit on an all online day, so this is always a process each morning.
Brush my teeth and style my hair
An obvious, before leaving for breakfast I make sure my teeth are brushed and also style my hair for the day so it is out of my face.
Grab takeout from Locke’s
Now that I am all dressed and ready to start my day, I head to Locke’s to pick up some breakfast. I’m a big believer that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and make sure to grab something to give my body all the nutrients it needs to start me off right.
Check my emails while I eat breakfast
Once I get back to my room, I check my emails for work and school while eating my breakfast. I always make sure to do this in the morning before classes in case any of my professors cancel class, move to online, or change the plan for today.
Plan my day out and get started
Lastly, before I start working on my school work and attend my classes, I fill out my daily planner. I write down my schedule for the day with my classes, work shifts, meetings, and anything else I need to attend. I also write down all my homework I need to do for the next day in a little “to do” section. This acts as my reminder of everything I have and need to accomplish each day.
College is hard, but I find my morning routine to be one of the most important things I do each day in college. It gets me motivated and ready to conquer the day. I highly recommend creating your own morning routine and seeing how it impacts your day to day life, especially trying to ride the roller coaster of being a college student.