Building a Morning Routine in College
If waking up in the mornings feels like a chore to you, you’re not alone. It might be dark outside, you might know that you have a ton of homework to get done on a particular day, or maybe you had a late night and don’t feel completely rested. Whether you are more of a “morning person” or dread the sound of your alarm, having a reliable routine with which to begin your days can make all the difference when it comes to greeting them with a sense of motivation. In college, constructing a morning routine can help you make sure that you are prepared for all the day’s commitments, from classes to practice or ensemble rehearsals and beyond.
The first step in creating a morning routine should address what inevitably comes first: waking up. Many students now prefer to use their phone as an alarm and tend to keep it next to their bed, either on their desk or in a pocket in their sheet or comforter. This method, albeit convenient, can make it easy to just hit the “snooze” button when your alarm goes off...and keep hitting “snooze” until one realizes they’ve slept through their entire 8 a.m. class. To combat the temptation to hit that tempting little button and fall right back asleep, place your phone – or alarm – across the room, or at least somewhere that requires you to exit your bed to turn it off.
Once you’ve successfully left your bed, try not to get right back in now that you’ve turned your alarm off. In addition, try to refrain from scrolling through social media. Instead, stay out of bed and start your day by drinking a glass of water, washing your face, or turning on your coffee maker. If you like slower and less hectic mornings, make sure you wake up early enough that you have time before work or your first class to take care of all necessary parts of “getting ready.”
Before moving on, make your bed! This will not only prevent you from getting back in – who wants to mess up a masterpiece of blankets, pillows and stuffed animals? -- but can also contribute to making your half of the dorm room look extra neat and tidy.
Decide which aspects of your self-care you’d like to take care of in the mornings, and which can wait until evening or another part of the day. If you like to wash your hair and let it dry throughout the day, budget time for that in your morning routine. If you prefer to shower at night, don’t worry about making time for it in the morning. Especially as you begin college, it is important to find a balance between feeling relaxed by taking time to care for yourself in the mornings and feeling stressed by the number of activities you have planned before your first class.
If you do find yourself feeling stressed or rushed in the mornings, make things easier for yourself by completing some tasks the previous night. Choose your outfit and lay it on top of your dresser, pack your backpack, or write down a to-do list. These can all give you a few more flexible minutes with which to work the following morning.
Creating a morning routine means creating a new habit; just like learning to keep a planner, it’s something that can’t happen overnight. Over time, however, you will become used to how long your preferred morning tasks take and be able to adjust your alarm accordingly. Additionally, if you find yourself with some spare time before work or classes, you can incorporate other activities into your morning routine, such as journaling, doing a light workout, or reading your Bible.
Making mornings enjoyable in college isn’t rocket science – in fact, it’s not that hard at all, if you are willing to take time to acclimate to a routine, get to know yourself and what makes you feel motivated, and dedicate yourself to forming a new habit. Eventually, you might look back on the past month, or semester, or year, and recognize that you’ve developed a smoothly flowing routine that leaves you in a good headspace with which you can face the rest of the day.
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