Reflecting on how beginning my day affects the rest
Every morning, like most students on campus, I get ready for a day full of classes. Often, I don’t think too much about this routine, but recently, I have started to take an interest in the beauty of this daily ritual.
I’ve started setting my alarm a little earlier to make sure that I have enough time to make and eat breakfast, pick out my outfit for the day and do my makeup. Since I’ve been waking up earlier to have this time to myself, I have noticed that my days have been much better. I like this slow, steady, dedicated time to myself, where the only thing that I worry about is what t-shirt matches with what pair of pants.
This routine in the morning has been especially crucial in the past couple of weeks, as midterm season began draining my energy. Instead of rushing to class and grabbing what I can put on the quickest, this time that I have implemented into my mornings has helped me slow down a little. Going to class calm and composed has made me a better listener, and I can be an overall better student.
The act of making my own breakfast every morning has encouraged me to start eating healthier and be mindful of what I am putting into my body instead of cramming whatever energy bar I can find the fastest. I’ve noticed that I’m fuller for longer, which has helped me pay attention during days when I have to eat a late lunch due to back-to-back classes.
Getting dressed and doing my makeup has now become one of my favorite parts of the day, when it used to be something that I would dread doing every morning. The attention that I have been paying to what I wear each day has helped with my confidence levels. I feel a lot better than when I wore sweatpants to class. While sometimes I do still end up wearing comfy clothes to class, I really do prefer getting dressed in an outfit every day. This has also allowed my sense of style to grow, which is something that I have always enjoyed doing because of my love for all things fashion. Standing in front of the vanity in my apartment to do my makeup has also become something I enjoy instead of a hassle. During this, I feel very relaxed and almost in a meditative state, where I feel very confident and connected to myself. Like I mentioned before, this is a very grounding moment in my day.
All in all, taking more time for myself at the start of each day has helped boost my self-confidence. Having this short routine where I free myself from all of the external worries in my life and focus on myself for longer has helped me manage my stress levels and keep me grounded in reality rather than in a state of anxiety. It has also been a nice bonus to have some time solely for myself when I am constantly surrounded by others, especially with a packed schedule.