Why A Morning Routine Is Essential To Surviving Grad School
If you’re anything like me, you’re not really a morning person. Once I started at Newhouse, I knew that a proper morning routine would be essential to surviving this journey. Getting myself ready for the day has always been a task for me. Recently, I’ve been able to tackle my mornings with a few methods.
NOT A MORNING PERSON?
If you’re not a “morning person” your mornings are probably plagued with any of the things listed below:
1. You’re always rushing out the door or late for work
2. The snooze button is your BFF
3. You don’t have time to eat breakfast, do your hair, take out the dog, and look like a fully functioning adult, so something has to give. (It’s usually the dog’s bladder or your breakfast that gets left to the side)
WHY WE DO WE STRUGGLE IN THE MORNINGS?
To start tackling your mornings, you’ve got to start by pinpointing why you’re so tempted to hit that snooze button and not get up out of bed. For the most part, it has to do with lack of motivation. If we aren’t looking forward to what we’re headed to when its time to get up, the chances of us hitting that snooze button is significantly higher. Lack of enthusiasm for the day ahead of you is probably the #1 reason we struggle with mornings.
SELF-CARE? MAJOR KEY
There’s one thing I’ve started doing that has helped me turn my mornings around. Devoting time for yourself in the morning is major. Self-care is essential in general. Implementing it into my morning routine has helped me transition into a morning person.
I’ve done this by getting up an hour earlier and devoting that time for myself. This time is used to prep for the day mentally, physically, and spiritually. You can start by just setting aside 20 minutes each morning for one of these things and then transitioning to the whole hour. I use this time for couple different activities.
HOW CAN THIS BE BENEFICIAL TO YOU?
This time that I set aside for yourself in the mornings will give you a break mentally. Durning this 20 – 60 minutes you can set aside all stress and focus your energy on you.
By adding self-care practices to your morning routine, you can focus on your well-being.
Self-care routines can aid in increasing your energy and motivation throughout the day.
Devoting time for spiritual and mental growth gives you something to look forward to in the mornings.
After adding this self-care time to my morning routine, I’ve become more energized throughout the day. I’ve noticed that I’m not drained or dragging in the morning. I have this method to look forward to and push me out of bed. Plus it’s helping me survive grad school!
There are still some moments when that snooze button wins because I’m just plain tired. That is okay.
So start off with just 20 minutes in the mornings devoted to yourself. Listen to a favorite podcast, get a quick workout routine, try meditation, read an encouraging good book, write down what you’re grateful for, or just have a cup of tea.
