We’re all familiar with those videos where people share their perfect daily routines and their lives seem to consist of nothing besides peace, love, and happiness. So for the past few days, I decided to follow my own routine to let you know exactly how manageable this lifestyle of peace, love, and happiness is. (Disclaimer: My class schedule varies literally every single day, so not every day was the exact same)
My first step in forming my routine was the most difficult part: waking up at 7:30 every morning. I’ll be honest, I’m somewhat of a morning person. Nevertheless, usually, I convince myself to stay in bed for 2 hours until I need to get ready for class, but not anymore. This week, I woke up and got right up. One morning, I went straight into reading, another doing homework, another into doing my makeup. The point is, I woke up and did something besides lay in my bed and scroll on TikTok.
To help me reach my “that girl” potential, I also planned out outfits the night before. I’ll admit that I had to change a few of them the morning of because New York weather just won’t make my life any easier, but having just the base of an outfit ready helped avoid my daily 20 minute stare into the depths of my closet.
The single most important part of getting me into the best routine was my agenda. I wrote down every assignment from each class and created to-do lists each morning. This is super helpful with time management because once you can see an actual list of what you need to get accomplished before the day is done, it’s a lot easier to know how much time you’ll need. Also, if you write down each assignment, you’re a lot less likely to forget about it and email your professor 10 minutes before it’s due.
This is the part where I admit my mom was right all along. Making your bed every single morning actually makes you feel a lot better. I used to make my bed *most* mornings, so this week I forced myself to do it each day, and surprisingly, I really liked it. It made me feel more productive and prepared for the day. Also, it felt a lot better returning from classes to a cleaner looking room.
As a student, a very large part of my day is dedicated to studying and homework, so, part of getting that done for me is finding the best spot to camp out and work with no distractions. I usually do this by getting an iced coffee and putting my AirPods on noise cancellation. It makes me feel like I’m straight out of an aesthetically pleasing Pinterest post when in reality I’m hunched over my laptop scrambling to write an essay.
Anyways… the hardest part of making this routine a reality was actually forcing myself to be productive when I really didn’t feel like it. The only thing I can say is that after a few days of following my routine, I felt less stressed, less overwhelmed, and less scatterbrained. This routine might not have brought me complete peace, love, and happiness, but it certainly helped make my life easier and more organized. Overall, I’d highly recommend making yourself a routine, whether it’s stricter or more lenient than mine, having certain daily habits and routines helps us make our chaotic day a little more peaceful.
If anyone feels like copying, this was the approximate routine I followed:
7:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. : Wake up and get ready for the day. Be sure to chug a large amount of water, make your bed, and make an attempt to eat something for breakfast.
10:15 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. : Most days I have classes during this time, but my schedule varies slightly each day. If I’m not in class during this time period, I’ll eat something at some point and do homework.
3:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. : Relax and recharge after classes. I usually take some time to clean, maybe do laundry, read something for fun, or even take a nap if I need to. This part of my day is so important for me as it keeps me from going insane from constantly working on essays and assignments.
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. : Homework/Study time. I’ll usually head to a study lounge or sit outside if it’s nice out, plant myself down somewhere, make sure I have all assignments done for the next day, and get ahead on work if I’m lucky enough.
8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.: Now, I usually get together with some friends and grab dinner. This is another super important part of my day. It helps me unwind and relax to just spend time with my friends and shut off my brain for the first time that day.
9:30p.m. – 11:30p.m.: After eating and taking a much-needed break from work, I’ll usually return to my room, clean up a bit, finish up on any assignments, and review notes from earlier that day.
11:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. : My personal favorite part of my day; I’d shower, unwind, and finally really relax. I’ll make sure I have everything I need for the next day prepared, and I’ll usually watch an episode of something on Netflix or read a few chapters from one of my books (current read: Conversations with Friends, by Sally Rooney). Then, I climb into my beautifully made bed and get ready to do it all over again tomorrow.