Happy December everyone! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed time with family. I’m back at school for another week or so for finals, and I’m so ready for Christmas break! Thanksgiving break was so fun, I got to go home earlier than I expected and spent the week relaxing and spending time with my fam. I took a few shifts at the boutique I’ve worked at since high school, baked lots of goodies for Thanksgiving, played card games with my siblings, and had lots of movie nights. We set out Christmas tree up and decorated the house, which really got me into full holiday mode. Not going to lie, it’s always tough to come back to school for finals after Christmas break. I was in such a relaxed, holiday mood and now I’m stressed with papers and exams and final projects, haha. Anyway, today’s post is all about my recent college morning routine! I’ve been consistent with this routine for a little over a month now, and I feel like I’ve finally found a routine that works for me and my schedule.
- 6:30 a.m.: My alarm goes off! I contemplate going back to sleep, but I drag myself out of bed and into the bathroom to wash my face with the Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser. It’s really gentle on my skin, and the cold water helps wake me up.
- After washing my face, I’ll stretch a little bit, light a candle, and put jazz music on. Two of my favorite playlists are Autumn Jazz or Christmas Cocktail Jazz on Spotify.
- I’ll grab my journal and jot out a few journal prompts for the day. I either look them up on Pinterest or make them up myself depending on what I’m feeling that day.
- Some of my favorite prompts: How am I feeling today, intentions for the day, what to improve on from yesterday, what am I excited for, what I’m grateful for, a health goal for today, and a quick prayer
- By now, it’s about 6:50, and it’s time to change to go to the gym. I prefer to run on the treadmill when it’s cold outside, and I don’t have a parking pass, so I have to go early before parking services starts ticketing at 8 a.m.
- I’m training for St. Jude right now (it’s on Saturday!), so I check my training plan for the day. It’s usually 3-5 miles or a sprint workout. I run on treadmill while watching a YouTube video, then do a quick 15 minute pilates workout.
- I drive back home and hop in the shower, drink a big glass of water, and take my medicine/vitamins for the day.
- Devotion time! I’m currently reading through the New Testament and I’m about to start Philippians. Now that it’s December, I’ve also been reading a daily Advent devotion from Come Let Us Adore Him by Paul David Tripp. It has a couple pages of a devotion and some verses at the end. I really like taking 30-40 minutes to read, pray, and journal what stood out to me. I love taking the time each morning to prioritize time with God, instead of scrolling on social media or jumping right into homework.
- Time for my favorite part of the morning- making a coffee or matcha! I love having a “morning drink” to look forward to, whether its coffee, matcha, kombucha, just something fun!. I either grab a coffee from my apartment’s coffee machine at the clubhouse or make my own. I just bought the Califia Farms blonde roast and oatmilk creamer, which is really good. I also like the Purechimp matcha powder, and I’ll add a few vanilla sweetener drops for some extra flavor.
- I don’t have class until 11 most days, and some days not until 1, so I use the morning to knock out all my homework for the day. I used to just sit at my desk and work from my room, but I’ve been trying to switch up my environment and get out of the house more. I notice that I get really down if I’ve just been sitting in my apartment all morning and would rather go somewhere else to work. I either go to my favorite coffee shop, 929 Coffee, or the library on campus!
And that’s it! I am so glad that I’ve gotten into a consistent morning routine, and it makes such a difference in the rest of my day. Take yesterday for example. I didn’t do my usual morning routine because I had a meeting at 9 and was working out later in the day. I didn’t feel near as productive and I felt like my day was thrown off, because I didn’t get my morning movement and devotion in like usual. Yes, it’s hard to wake up sometimes, and I don’t always feel like getting out of bed. But after I’m up and started on my day, I never regret it!
What’s your favorite part of your morning?