Stress and college are, at times, synonymous. The days blur together and in a blink of an eye your room is a mess, you’re behind on your work, and you only have a pack of hummus and an empty Brita in your fridge. It’s important to establish a routine that ensures you are taking time to check in on yourself and your surroundings so you don’t start to spiral like some sort of walking disaster waiting to happen.
One of the first steps in establishing a reset routine for yourself is finding a day that you have the most free time to run errands or get the most amount of work done. Many people designate their Sundays for completing various tasks, but you can formulate a routine any day of the week that works for you. Utilize this day to complete anything that you normally wouldn’t have time for during the rest of the week.
Get some household chores done that you’ve neglected. This can include cleaning your dorm or, if you live in a house or apartment, doing your chores for the week, like vacuuming, putting laundry away, and doing the dishes. I guarantee you, your roommates will thank you.
Jaileen Alvarez, a senior nursing student, commented, “I use my reset day to clean my apartment and meal prep to make sure I’m not stressed out later during the week.”
This is also a good time to do your laundry. This will help you get into the routine of doing your laundry every week, ensuring that you have as many clean clothing options as possible instead of waiting until you have an overflowing basket of dirty laundry. Do your laundry weekly so you’re not stuck looking for that one specific shirt that you end up finding at the bottom of the pile.
Formulating a grocery list and stopping in at your favorite grocery store is also a task you can save for these days. You probably don’t need to purchase groceries on a weekly basis; however, going to the grocery store every two weeks to replenish your fruits, vegetables, and other products you’re low on will ensure that you’re not left with an empty fridge.
Stray away from only purchasing snack options, especially if you don’t have a meal plan and need to make your own meals. Give yourself a budget for your grocery list so you don’t overindulge at the store, and always remember to eat before you go so you’re not gravitating to every single item in your path.
You should also use this day as a time to tidy up your room after the chaos of the week. It’s so easy to neglect your space in all the hustle and bustle of the school year, but a clean room reflects a clean mind. Your surroundings truly do affect your mood and quality of work. To create a space that produces the maximum amount of productivity, make sure you take care of your surroundings and, as a result, yourself. Put your clothes away. Straighten your bedside table. Make your bed.
Jessie Maguire, a marine and environmental biology and policy student, explained, “On Sundays, I normally try to organize my room because during the week I tend to throw things everywhere in my room. Sunday is the day I like to set myself up for the week.”
Keep in mind that you don’t need to complete all of these tasks within the same day, but you should definitely have a free day within your week where you can do as many of these tasks as possible. It will make your life easier and have you feeling like a functional human being.
