COLLEGELIFESTYLE & TRAVEL

The Importance of a Routine in College

College is a time of much inconsistency and uncertainty. Many students are balancing two to three jobs, a full class load, clubs, a social life, and much more. Some days are more chaotic than the day before as you may have multiple commitments, while other days you might be struggling to find something to do. This uncertainty in your schedule creates difficult situations where you might struggle to balance commitments and priorities with free time. In this article, we will focus on how to create a routine that will reduce the strain on your mental and physical health, and therefore increase your overall efficiency, success, and happiness.

How to build a routine

The most important time of day to develop a routine is in the early morning. We recommend you wake up at least two hours before your first task of the day. This may sound ridiculous at first, but in the end you will save time. As soon as you get up and before looking at your phone, sit at a table and develop a list and schedule for your day. During this time, make a cup of coffee or tea, meditate, and plan out when you are going to complete each task that you have for the day. Allocating time to certain tasks before attempting them will prepare you for possible challenges and uncertainty in your day, allowing a sense of flexibility and control.

Following your morning reflection, we recommend making your bed, so you can accomplish your first task of the day before even leaving the house. Finally, you can do some type of physical exercise, make a healthy smoothie, shower, and be ready to attack the day.

Mental checks

It is important to never spend more than 15 minutes on a task if you aren’t being productive towards it. Either switch the task that you are doing or leave it be. Go do something you enjoy and come back to the task in 30 minutes. Don’t waste time stressing about something when you are not ready to get it done.

The benefits associated with building a daily routine

Going into each day with a game plan will reduce your stress and allow you to tackle your tasks with confidence and drive, increasing your productivity. When you don’t plan out your day, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and waste energy stressing about what is to come. Having everything out in front of you will allow you to use your energy in a more efficient manner. Further, crossing off tasks from your to-do lists is proven to reduce stress and create a feeling of accomplishment, which will build momentum towards your next tasks.

Creating time for yourself

One of the most important things for successful day is to find time for yourself to relax and reflect on the tasks you have completed. Reflecting on your day will allow you to figure out what went right and what you can improve on to make the next day even more productive and efficient. You will immediately notice that you are more mentally available than before and are able to complete and attend to your priorities more effectively and with a clearer mind. Many people struggle to find time to do an activity they love, simply because they do not put it into their daily routine. If you follow our steps on creating a daily regimen, you will be able to include time for yourself and activities that you enjoy!