Starting the spring semester off strong
If you’re anything like me when the new year comes around, you likely set a bunch of goals for yourself which end up falling through once February rolls around. After a certain amount of failed New Year, or New Semester resolutions, I have given up on trying to completely change my life whenever a “new” time of year comes. However, this semester I have implemented a few small changes in my life which have made a bigger difference and have been easier to keep up with than any of the extravagant goals I have set previously.
1. Waking Up Early
As cliche as it sounds, waking up early has made me so more productive and motivated. I am the type of person who hates getting out of bed early in the morning, but once I am awake and out of bed I feel great. Although my earliest class starts at 9:30 a.m., I usually try to get out of bed before 8 a.m. On Fridays, I do not even have class, but I still wake up at 6:30 a.m. to work out and start my day. Waking up early on days I do not have class prevents me from wasting my entire day in bed, and I am usually able to knock out most of my homework for the weekend. I personally am able to focus the best when I start tasks in the morning and early afternoon, so waking up early has boosted my productivity this semester.
2. Attending Yoga Classes
This is another cliche, but adding some movement in addition to the walking I do for class has done so much for my physical and mental health this semester. I usually try to attend the 7:15 a.m. yoga classes at the Nick on Mondays and Fridays. I prefer going to the gym in the morning because I like getting it out of the way first thing in the morning, and it also gives me a reason to wake up early. Not to mention, morning movement is so good for you and it reduces the risks of diseases such as Alzeimers. Even though I only go to yoga twice a week, I have noticed that a lot of my back pain and tight muscles have gone away. Going to yoga has definitely become a highlight of my week and I am considering adding another day to my schedule.
3. Showering in the morning
I would always shower in the morning during winter break, so I decided to replace my night showers with morning ones at school as well. Not only does it give me a reason to wake up early, but it also guarantees a good hair day. When I used to shower at night my hair would always get creased and frizzy the next morning, but when I shower in the morning, I blow dry it and it stays straight until my next hair wash day. I am also pretty sure that blow drying my hair has also helped my hair health since my hair has gotten so much longer since I have stopped air drying it.
You may have noticed that all these habits connect back to waking up early in the morning, but that has honestly made the biggest difference in my productivity and motivation this semester. If you are looking for some non-drastic changes to make to your routine this semester, I highly recommend trying one of these habits out!