Tuesday 20 October 2015

Tips and Tricks for An Early Start | Morning Routine

Am I the only one who feels like 8am classes just should NOT exist? What purpose do they serve in my life and education when there are so many other hours in the day that aren't 8am.

But alas, 8am classes do exist and they probably always will, so we've got to suck it up and make the most of it! I've put together a list of 5 tips/tricks that help me to sleep a little longer while still getting out the door on time, all without cutting corners!
1. Pack your things the night before
It's a pain in the butt to have to run around looking for all the things you need for your class- it's so easy to get organized the night before an early morning. What I like to do is pack my agenda, folders, notebooks, pens, highlighters, and Macbook into my backpack before going to bed. This ensures that in the morning all I have to do is grab my bag and head out the door.
2. Pre-make your meals
Making and eating breakfast in the morning can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes! I like to hack this by making my breakfast the night before: 1/2 cup greek yogurt, 1/4 raw oats, 1 tsp raw cacao powder, and a pinch of cinnamon. I mix it all up in a tupperware container and take it along with me to class. If you're in a lecture hall then you're able to eat whenever you get hungry, there usually aren't rules against food in a lecture hall. If you're in a program like mine, you won't be allowed food in the class room because of the technology. In this case, odds are you professor will provide you with a break half way through (my class is 8am-11am and we usually get a break between 9am and 9:30am) when you can eat, drink, and use the washroom. I also pre-make my lunch the night before so I'm not stuck at school having to buy something over-priced and unhealthy from the cafeteria and it doesn't add any extra time to my morning routine. The easiest way for me to pre-make my lunch is by making enough of my dinner to take along the next day!
3. Lay out clothes in advance
Choosing an outfit in the morning can be an absolute chore! I always find trying to put an outfit together in a rush frazzles me and makes the task harder. I choose 2 outfits the night before; one fancy outfit and one more casual outfit. This gives me options! When I do this I lay out everything including bra, panties, shoes, etc.
4. Perfect a go-to look
The last thing you want to have to worry about in the morning is how to tackle the task that is hair and makeup. Having a quick makeup routine for busy days is a really helpful hack. Mine includes concealer, powder foundation, blush, highlight, mascara, and filling in my brows. Hair takes me the longest to figure out in the morning- it's definitely not my forte. Because of this, I have a few quick goto hair styles for day 1, day 2, and day 3 hair that I shared in this post!
5. Wake up tech-free
Yes, this does sound daunting and impossible, but I can honestly say that avoiding all social media in the morning really helps to speed everything along! I find that I can save myself about half an hour in the mornings just by not checking social media right away! If you think about it, spending just 5 minutes catching up on each major social media platform; FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest  and Snapchat, adds up to 25 minutes. Throw YouTube into the mix and you're looking at a good chunk of time! My best advice is to keep your phone on airplane mode so you're not tempted by notifications. Get through your whole morning routine and then check social media when you're all ready for the day!

My Morning Routine for an 8am Class
5:45am: wake up, stretch in bed
6:00am: get out of bed, get glass of water
6:05am: yoga sun-salutation
6:20am: bathroom/skincare routine
6:35am: go-to hair and makeup
6:45am: get dressed
6:50am: get lunch bag from fridge and pack into school bag
7:00am: head out the door and walk to bus stop
7:20am: catch bus to school, check social media on bus
7:45am: arrive at college and head to class

I hope these 5 tips will be useful to some of you who are stuck in the 8am club! If you have any hacks I could use for my morning routine do let me know! What does your early morning consist of?

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn

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