Like a Jenga tower, all the pieces of your day must be carefully arranged. Otherwise, everything collapses.
It can be difficult to manage your time effectively between school, extracurriculars, hobbies and a social life. However, maintaining a daily routine helps you to plan ahead.
“Having a routine is a good thing for anyone to do,” said Maggie Wilhite, the student wellness coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts. “It can give you a sense of control when you’re feeling stressed out and things are chaotic. Being able to see what your day will look like can help alleviate some anxiety.”
Last semester, I experienced the negative effects of lacking a consistent daily routine. Without structure, I felt like the hours of my day had evaporated. I found myself rushing to meet deadlines, skipping meals and feeling overwhelmed juggling several commitments.
After some reflection, I realized it was not the amount of responsibilities that overwhelmed me. It was the lack of structure in my day.
“Over my first semester, I was able to build a daily routine,” government freshman Jack Schufreider said. “It made getting through the day and doing everything I wanted to
do easier.”
As a junior, I unconsciously got tired of the pre-established routine I had been following since the start of college. To prevent routines from losing their effect, it’s important to change them often. The start of a new semester is the perfect opportunity to make changes, so I reinvented my routine. I designed this new routine through honest introspection to ensure it’s realistic and accounts for what I need, and I invite you to do the same.
It’s also worth noting that you can set aside time for small rewards within your daily routine. It doesn’t all have to be serious.
“I would get up and go to the gym,” Schufreider said. “I had times (when) I would drink tea every day because tea is a huge part of my life, and whenever I drink tea, I feel good.”
Wilhite said the Humanitas program within the College of Liberal Arts promotes healthy activities that students can incorporate into their routines. For example, they offer things like the Well-Being Center in Jester, weekly Wellness Labs, therapy dog days and craft nights. Leaving room in your day for activities of this kind can help reduce your stress level.
Some might argue that routines are unrealistic because they don’t account for human spontaneity. However, having a routine doesn’t mean you can never be flexible. Sometimes, things come up and you can change your plans for the day.
What’s important is that you don’t make this the norm. To avoid an obsolete routine, make an agreement with yourself to adhere to your routine as closely as possible to ensure you’re fueling your full potential.
“As far as a routine (goes), just (plan for) ways to take care of your physical body, mental health, social connections as well as your academics,” Wilhite said. “These are the pillars of well-being for college students … constantly keeping those in balance is the best way for you to move forward.”
A balanced routine allows you to set time for both your academic and personal goals.
As a pre-law student, one of my goals this semester is to dedicate more time to studying for the LSAT. This is something I know I won’t successfully achieve unless I set aside specific hours of my day for that. Otherwise, it’s easy to push non-pressing matters off your day and focus on more immediate needs, which can have detrimental effects on long-term goals.
Remember, it’s not about how many hours are in a day — it’s how you use those hours that truly makes the difference.
Mendoza is a philosophy junior from El Paso, Texas.
