If you know me at all, you might know that my favorite time of day is right when I wake up in the morning — something that not a lot of people, especially college students, would agree with me on. For me, there’s something so exciting and refreshing about the early morning: the crisp morning air, a warm, invigorating shower and the prospect of a yummy breakfast ahead. Hopefully, as I take you through a typical morning of mine — a Monday versus a Saturday, because they’re … well, pretty different — you’ll find a tip or two that’ll bring a little more sparkle and joy to your mornings here at Dartmouth.
Monday
7:15 a.m.
Snooze.
7:20 a.m.
Snooze.
7:25 a.m.
Actually wake up and get out of bed! I typically set three alarms with five-minute intervals between, aiming to wake up by the second or third one. I’d say I’m usually up on weekdays by 8:00 a.m. at the latest. The first thing I do is open the window by my bed and breathe in some fresh morning air; it sounds cheesy, but it’s seriously my favorite feeling in the morning.
7:30 a.m.
Brew some hot tea (mint, matcha and chai are my favorites) and hop in the shower while the water for my tea boils.
8:00 a.m.
Reluctantly get out of the shower, blow dry my hair, put some Aveeno lotion all over my body, do my daily morning skincare routine (we love Korean skincare!) and put in my contacts. I do all of this while sipping on my tea and watching some “Gossip Girl”: a true guilty pleasure.
9:00-9:30 a.m.
Head to Collis and grab my favorite breakfast: two eggs, over-medium, with corn salsa, spinach, mushrooms and lots of Tabasco hot sauce. Would absolutely recommend. Collis is also pretty empty during this 30-minute chunk of time, making this my go-to spot in the mornings.
9:30-10:30 a.m.
Enjoy my breakfast with a steaming cup of black coffee and more “Gossip Girl”, because why not?
11:00 a.m.
Try to get some homework/reading/project work done, because as we all know, the grind is real. At this hour, the morning is effectively coming to an end. Depending on the day, I’ll usually head to lunch with friends or off to class.
Saturday
h, Saturday. Everyone’s favorite day of the week. Saturday mornings are typically what I’d classify as “lazy” mornings, although I still make a pretty diligent effort to get myself out of my room and maximize the amount of light or sunlight I get that day — big California mood. Also, minor disclaimer: the hour during which I get up on Saturdays is quite subject to change (plus or minus a few hours, I’d say), depending on how late my Friday night was. You know how it is.
9:00 a.m.
Snooze.
9:05 a.m.
Snooze.
9:10 a.m.
Convince myself to get out of bed. Do my usual: fresh air, tea, shower, etc., etc.
9:30 a.m.
On Saturdays, I’ll usually eat breakfast that I’ve prepared for myself the night before. My favorites are matcha overnight oats with almond butter and chocolate chips or vanilla almond chia pudding. Both delicious, both perfect with a nice cup of coffee, and both super quick and easy to make!
10:00-11:00 a.m.
Relax … watch some Netflix, put on a face mask, drink more tea, go all out in treating yourself.
11:00 a.m.
For me, a Saturday morning staple is definitely some hot yoga! As a loyal member of Mighty Yoga right here in Hanover (in the building behind Stinson’s), I make sure to take a class every Saturday morning if I can. It’s the perfect start to your day and helps you refocus and recalibrate after a (possibly) very ~fun~ night out.
o there you have it: my Dartmouth morning routines. While not a lot of people I know are huge fans of the morning, I personally think that if you have things to look forward to right when you wake up, it’s very easy to make any morning very relaxing, restful and enjoyable.
Bella Jacoby / The Dartmouth Senior Staff
