I begin the day by waking up to an alarm. I know alarms are not the most peaceful sound to wake up to, so I have set my alarm to a tone that includes birds chirping and a light, piano melody.
My first habit is to keep my phone in someplace out of reach while I sleep. This way, I have to get out of bed to turn my alarm off in the morning.
It can be easy to lay in bed on your phone for hours on end and trust me, I have fallen into that trap many times before.
But I hate to late the morning pass by me without getting anything done. By forcing myself to crawl out of my comfortable blanket-toaster I am less likely to get back in it. After freshening up, I get changed into my workout clothes. I prefer to work out in the morning, right when I wake up. This is when my motivation for exercise is at the highest and it gets my day started off on a productive foot.
I try to work out for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. On days that I am feeling particularly lazy and unmotivated, I will at least try to stretch. Stretching in the morning is a great way to get the blood flowing, and to smooth out any kinks you may have from sleeping.
For workouts, I usually follow YouTube videos and free workout plans. This is one of my most well-kept habits over the last few years. It has drastically improved my mood and overall well-being.
During breakfast, I have started to read the newspaper. Back when I was at college, I would gravitate toward using my phone or watching a show during breakfast by myself. But now that I am back at home, I try to limit my screen time during meals. Reading a physical newspaper is something that keeps me much more present.
Keeping up with current events is always important too. Dedicating this part of my day to reading a few articles has allowed me to take my mornings slow.
I am able to step away from the table and get to work easily because I am not getting sucked into social media, or whatever I may be doing on my phone. I usually eat breakfast in my workout clothes so when I finish eating, I go get changed.
Spending the day at home makes me inclined to change back into my warm and cozy pajamas. I find that I am most productive when I change into normal, everyday clothes.
In a similar vein, I always make sure my bed is made. Not only does it prevent me from going back in it but it solidifies the fact that my bed is only meant to be slept in.
When it is not made, it is like the untucked sheets are inviting me back in and telling me to abandon my work for the day to laze around. It's a place for downtime, somewhere I can be free from work.
I certainly don't need that temptation. Even if you are not a student, you may be trying to learn something new. I know many of us have picked up new hobbies or are trying to learn something over quarantine.
For me, that is working on my studies of another language. I don't always find the time to study outside my courses or classwork but English is a language I have always wanted to become fluent in someday.
Even when I don't have time to study it for several hours. I will make sure to learn at least one new word a day. This habit is to work toward a long-term goal each day. If you break it up, slowly but surely you will get much closer to your desired result.
I find myself staring at a computer screen for a generous portion of my day.
To prevent severe eye strain, I make sure to take regular breaks. Even if you aren't working on a computer, it is still important to take breaks as you work.
During my breaks, I will walk downstairs and grab some water. It is good to walk around a bit when you have been sitting down for a long period of time. I always get terrible lower back pain if I sit for too long and these breaks also keep me hydrated.
In the evening, I stretch again to relieve my body of all the tension from a workday. In the morning I focus on stretching my legs and doing more intense, dynamic stretches to wake my body up.
At night I just do a few easy stretches focusing on the back and neck. This stretching routine is very calm and relaxing for me. Many people throw in some meditation too.
I have not gotten on the meditation train yet, but that is something I may include in my night routine in the future.
Before bed, I take some time to journal. Because I have more time nowadays, I will usually write a reflective diary entry.
Here I unload all of my thoughts and unpack how I am feeling at the current moment. I also take this time to fill in my bullet journal trackers and plan for the next day.
Before I head off to sleep, I like to read for a while. It gives my eyes the chance to rest from all the blue light that I have been looking at throughout the day and it helps to make me sleepy if I am not already tired.
That's it for today and I hope you enjoy reading my new article.
Hahaha relate much