Imagine this: 13-year-old you watching YouTube videos about aesthetic vloggers living out their strict 5:00 a.m. morning routines. There was a desire to be like them and eventually become them when you hit the ripe age of 18, but let’s be honest, your alarm sounds at 11:00 a.m. and you press snooze to continue your beauty sleep.
Routines can be helpful for school and work, but can also become so repetitive that it feels exhausting to complete one each day. Here’s a simple guide on how to break that grim routine of yours.
Go with the flow
As cheesy as it sounds, going with the flow has become a bittersweet enemy for me and can become one for you! I despise it when something I’ve planned within my routine doesn’t go the way I imagined, and though it’s annoying, it’s time to let go. Maybe hangout plans were canceled or study time was ruined by a dead laptop. Shrug it off, say “It is what it is” and move on. Not everything has to be set in stone.
Become a couch potato
There are days when you will feel lazy, and although you planned on running errands to feel productive, it’s okay to just lay in bed and binge whatever show you’ve become addicted to. At first, you’ll probably feel bad for being “unproductive,” but taking a break occasionally is a good thing. Your to-do list can wait till tomorrow, or better yet, the next day.
Spontaneity is key
Impulsive thoughts are your besties, most of the time. It’s time to consider them and listen to your impulsive thoughts for once. Imagine sitting at your desk and having to finish an assignment, but the little voice on your shoulder is saying that you should drop everything and go to a coffee shop to quench your caffeine cravings. Or maybe you want to go to the theater and eat popcorn and an Icee. Or you want to hang out with a friend for a memorable, hopefully not regrettable, night. Give in to the voice, you’ll thank it later.
“It’s my way or the highway” — simply stop
Not everything has to go your way. Maybe you’re an avid planner, but sometimes your friends can bring ideas of their own to the table. Welcome them and don’t take over every little thing that is planned. Creating a schedule with friends can lift some weight off your shoulders, and hey, if you don’t like something they’ve planned, you can always say “I told you so.”
Stop trying to be “aesthetic”
The 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. routines that vloggers continuously record create unrealistic expectations unless you’re a thriving, financially responsible adult with a neutral-colored kitchen. Their routines are always perfect, and you shouldn’t try to embody what their “ideal” life looks like. You can try to incorporate some of their routine, like stretching in the morning or reading at night, but don’t try to do everything — it’s unrealistic. At the end of the day, you get to build your routine and you shouldn’t feel tied to it.
