Forming a morning routine can be quite difficult, especially when you are in college just trying to get by. However, having a daily routine can help you build healthy habits and give you a better mindset throughout the day. Below, I’ve listed some things I’ve implemented into my daily routine that have helped me so much!
- Sit up in bed
Waking up can be extremely difficult, especially if you were up the night before trying to get some homework done. If I don’t sit up in bed, then I will end up hitting the snooze button and going back to sleep. In order to prevent this from happening, it’s best to just sit up in bed for a couple minutes. This will help you slowly start to wake up so you don’t accidentally sleep in. Implementing this into your daily routine can help you wake up a lot easier and a bit more refreshed.
- Drink a glass of water after waking up
Most of the time when you wake up, you are going to feel very parched and dehydrated, especially during times like this where it’s cold and dry outside and the heat is blasting indoors. One way to avoid this is to rehydrate the second you wake up. Pour yourself a cold glass of water, and drink the entire thing. If drinking water first thing in the morning isn’t for you, then make a hot cup of tea with honey. This will also help rehydrate you. By doing this, you will feel a lot more hydrated when you start taking on the day.
- Do a morning stretch
Another thing to do when you first wake up is to do a morning stretch. I personally enjoy doing 5 minutes of yoga or pilates, but you can simply just wake up and stretch out your arms and legs. This can prevent muscle soreness and cramps throughout the day, especially if you are a strange sleeper like me. This will also get blood flowing through your heart, which will make you feel a lot more energized and ready to take on the day.
- Listen to music while getting ready
I found that one thing that makes me productive when getting ready in the morning is listening to music. Find a playlist with upbeat songs and play this every morning. This will help awaken you and give you that quick burst of energy in the morning that will improve your mood. It also makes getting ready in the morning a lot more enjoyable and fun.
- Ice your face and put eye drops in
Two things I enjoy doing in the morning is to ice my face and put eyedrops in. Icing your face helps your skin feel more refreshed and awake in less than five minutes. I use an ice facial roller I found on Amazon for 10 dollars and put it in the freezer, then apply it to my face. This was for sure a game changer for me. Next, I put eyedrops in my eyes. As a chronic contacts lover, it can be annoying in the morning to try to jam contacts in your eyes when your eyes feel all dried out from sleeping. So five minutes before I put contacts in, I put two drops of eyedrop liquid in each eye, which can help rehydrate the eyes. I would recommend doing this if you get dry eyes in the winter, especially in the morning.
- Energy drink? Coffee? Stick to one
Do not, and I repeat, do not start your morning off with both an energy drink and coffee. This will give you energy for maybe 3 hours before you crash very hard, which can mess up your day’s routine. It’s okay to have an energy drink in the morning and then a coffee towards the middle of the day, but spacing out caffeine intake is very important. You don’t want to crash halfway through the day when you have a busy day planned. If anything, try to limit your caffeine intake to at least one drink a day (whether that be an energy drink or a coffee) so that you feel more naturally energized throughout the day.
- Play NYT games
One of my favorite ways to train my brain is to play the New York Times games that are offered online, such as the Crossword puzzle, the Connections and the Wordle. These games are amazing to play in your free time because they pick at the logical side of your brain, which can train your brain on vocabulary and problem solving. I recommend doing the daily ones everyday, and if you enjoy them a lot, you can find the unlimited versions of all these games online.
- Be social throughout the day
Socializing with your peers is very important throughout the day, especially if you are a very busy individual or you don’t leave your room all that often. Socializing is essential for human health as it boosts mental wellbeing, reduces stress, and strengthens the immune system. Maintaining connections can also foster a sense of belonging, combats loneliness and improves cognitive function. So make an effort to talk to at least 3-5 people throughout your day.
- Go outside at least once
Touching grass is so important, especially if you have been cooped up all day in the library or in class. Even if it’s just for five minutes on a cold day, make an effort to step into the sunshine throughout the day. This will leave you feeling a lot more refreshed than before and will give you a rush of Vitamin D that will carry you throughout the rest of the day.
- Leave yourself 1-2 hours of ‘me time’
Having ‘me time’ is so important, especially if you are very busy and constantly on the run. Personally, I like to integrate 1-2 hours of “me time” and do things such as my hobbies, self care or just watching TV and reading a book. However you choose to spend your ‘me time’ is entirely up to you. Just make sure that you are relaxing and doing things for yourself during this time, not anyone else. During this time, I put my phone on DND and choose not to answer any texts, calls or emails.
- Spend some time on your hobbies
While doing schoolwork and going to work or your internship, make sure you are also immersing yourself in your creative side, which you can do by working on your hobbies. For example, during my free time, I like to play video games or write poetry. Essentially, you are wanting to do something that can really bring out your creativity. We are always focused on the logical side of things, like writing papers or completing daily tasks. Sometimes it’s important to bring out your creative side. Working on your hobbies can also make you feel a lot more relaxed mentally.
- Pick your outfit for the day the night before
If you are running out of the door in the mornings like I am, make sure that you are picking your outfit out the night before so that it’s ready for you in the morning. Usually I end up checking the weather for the following day before I pick out an outfit and then hang it up in my closet so that it’s ready to go. This will make your mornings run a bit smoother.
- Plan your day the night before
What I like to do before I go to bed is to plan out my next day on Google Calendar. This will make you feel more confident on tackling the day ahead. When I do this, I usually feel so much better about the day ahead and feel a massive weight taken off my shoulders.
- Wind down an hour before bed
It’s very important to make sure you wind down an hour before bed so that you can fall asleep easier. Usually if I am going to bed at 11pm, I start winding down at 10 by reading a book. Of course, you can unwind any way you’d like, as long as it helps you stay relaxed and calm.
- Listen to calming music while you sleep
Sleeping in a college dorm can be quite difficult because of noise levels, but what I like to do to help me fall asleep is to play some soothing jazz sounds on my TV to help me fall asleep. If you don’t have a TV in your room, you can also use another device such as a phone, tablet or computer. I usually find playlists on YouTube that can run for 5+ hours and contain no ads.
