“The secret to your future is hidden in your daily routine” – Mike M.
As a college student in my early 20’s, I, along with many of my peers, feel invincible to routine. I have spent many sleepless nights cramming for exams and living off of vending machine snacks and espresso shots. I would then promptly crash and sleep for a whole day, at some point munching on a big bowl of Ramen or mac and cheese. Often times, my body would revolt from this lack of routine in the form of physical illness, mental fog, and general unhappiness with life. It took several major illnesses and setbacks for me to realize that the most important building block in my wellness journey is a consistent and healthy routine.
Mastering a Fitness Routine
Mastering routine is a tough process that I am still working on to this day. When I am lost or discouraged, I find inspiration from my dog. My dog has the same exact routine every day. He eats, walks, plays, and goes to sleep around the same time every single day. Because of this, he is healthy and happy. While this initially appeared mundane to me, seeing my dog thrive off of routine inspired me to create my own routine in my life.
As a full-time commuting college student with a part-time job, setting a routine felt like a daunting and nearly impossible task. Each week was different with schoolwork and social activities, so how was I supposed to create a routine around my schedule?
I started small, by mapping out my days in the notes section of my iPhone. I literally wrote out the time I would wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed, hop on the train, and get to class. I kept this timing consistent every day, being mindful to not slip up on the weekends. I also made sure to eat at the same times every day. This meant eating my snack on the train and sometimes eating my lunch at meetings.
A Fitness Training Routine with Support
Working with Giulia has been immensely helpful in my journey to find a routine that works for me. She understands the hectic nature of student life and commuting but still holds me accountable to my goals and helps me find ways to achieve what I thought was initially impossible. She not only advises me on my athletic training routine, but she provides crucial insight into the importance of sleep, nutrition, meditation, and other health practices.
When I stuck with a consistent and healthy routine, I found I was becoming a better version of myself. In the past, I would wait till I was absolutely starving to eat and then binge on snack food. I would promise myself that I would work out, but never set a concrete time. Now, I make sure that I have enough food with me to keep myself satisfied. I sleep better, focus better, and have improved in my athletic training and academics. I am more present in my life and I have more time to focus on what makes me happy. If I stray from this routine, I quickly notice discomfort. I feel like a device left uncharged. It is easy to slip up, but I have found my routine to be so crucial to my success that there is no going back.
My Recommended Apps for Setting Routine:
- Simple Habit Tracker
- Routinist – Morning Routine
- Miracle Routine
- Transform My Morning – The Miracle Morning App
- Habit Hub
- Daily Habits
Guest post written by A Happy Client