Although the majority of us made major adjustments to our daily lives, I still believe it’s extremely important to maintain a sense of routine. Not only will a routine motivate you to be more productive throughout your day, but it will also help you to maintain your mental health. Establishing even a small structure throughout your day can make your days feel more structured and lead you to accomplish much more throughout your day.
Personally, I had quite a difficult time attempting to restructure my routine when I transferred to online learning. For the first few weeks, it was very difficult to have a sense of routine and maintain responsibilities at home, all while maintaining my course work. I also wanted to make an effort to focus on my mental and physical health as well with the free time that I had left. With all of this in mind, it was definitely challenging to restructure my days accordingly.
I like to begin my day by making my bed. Making my bed every morning makes my room much cleaner and helps me focus in a clean workspace. After I’ve washed my face and brushed my teeth, I immediately go downstairs to grab some water and green tea. I personally don’t like coffee all that much, so I like to begin my mornings with a lot of water to rehydrate. On days that I’ll be running, I like to eat a carb-fueled breakfast that will help fuel my run. My favorite breakfast at the moment is a bagel with peanut butter and a side of fruit! After my breakfast, I like to sit down at my desk and review my planner for the day to see what assignments I need to complete. I also like to use this time to check emails, go on social media and relax before I start the rest of my day. Sometimes I’ll start on assignments during this time too if it’s a simple task.
As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I’ve been attempting to run more often to improve both my mental and physical health. Running has always been my favorite way ro relieve stress, and I actually really enjoy running (crazy, right?). My favorite way to run is with a HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout. I like to run in intervals with anywhere between one minute to two minutes running at a moderate pace and 30 seconds to a minute of walking. I try to do this for anywhere between 15 to 30 minutes at least four times a week. I love incorporating a workout into my daily routine, because it makes me feel good, helps my mental health and makes me feel more productive and prepared for my day!
After I shower, I continue my school work for the day. For the most part, this is when I complete assignments that are due and take notes for my classes. After my course work is finally complete, I use the rest of my day to talk to my friends via social media and/or FaceTime, socialize with my family and spend time outside if the weather is nice! Since it’s so tempting to spend so much time scrolling through apps, I try my best to spend some time away from my phone. During this time, I like to draw, journal or draft blog pitches for upcoming posts. Even though every day is not the same, I try to keep most of my weekdays structured, so I can finish all of my assignments for the day all while incorporating activities into my day that help both my mental and physical health. By this time, the majority of my day has passed!
During these transitional times, I developed a routine that worked for me, and I encourage everyone else to do the same. Routines can definitely help you feel more structured and accomplished when there’s so much room to spend all of your free time distracting yourself from your responsibilities.
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