Hello Tuesday + hello friends! Today is filled with math tests and a fun start to the KU basketball season (eee!!!) for me and I am feeling all kinds of good about the fact that the holiday season is officially in swing! Today while walking to class, I realized how many things I am so dependent on in the morning, and being a creature of insane habit, rely on every single day! I am a strong supporter of a good morning setting your mood, and adjusting to college took me a bit to fully get my routine down. But, now that i think it is the best that it can be, here are a few things I HAVE to do EVERY morning:

WATER// I am water’s #1 fan. Literally. Ask anyone close to me about the amount of water I drink (or the amount of times I go to the bathroom within a day) and they will tell you it is MUCH more than the average human bean. I mean I am not upset about this, water is SUPER good for you and I make it a point to always drink at least a glass while my Keurig is brewing my coffee. Water before caffeine is SO important and I highly encourage picking up the habit if you don’t have it already.

ENDORPHIN RUSH// Now I am NOT an exercise in the morning kind of gal, it is much more of a release stress after school kind of deal for me, but when it is so nice out like it has been here I cannot help but take advantage of walking to my first class in the mornings. I have 8 or 9 am’s every day besides my noon start on Friday, and the air this early is therapeutic within itself! Even though I cannot wait for the day I am not ripping off my layers after walking back outside post my first class (it is NOVEMBER PEOPLE), I am loving the happy adrenaline rush I get from walking in the beautiful weather early in the morning.

QUIET TIME// this one is big. I always strive to take a quick second right when I wake up to just close my eyes and fully wake myself up (contradictory I know.) Whether it is a mental to-do list for the day, or a quick prayer, being calm and  preparing myself for the day ahead is a must for me if I want to stay sane throughout the day.

PACK A SNACK// My stomach isn’t always quite ready for breakfast right when I head out the door for class (especially when I leave around 7:30 on Mondays and Wednesdays) but I always make a point to grab a granola bar or a banana from the dining hall to snack on during that first class or soon after before I start to get too hungry. Too hungry is when my stomach rules my brain and I come back to the dining hall wanting carbs and foods that just wont fuel me or my body. Forcing myself to have something healthy on hand makes it simple and easy for me to grab it and fuel myself with the good stuff.

So that’s my morning routine! What are somethings you can’t go throughout the day without doing? I’d love to know and maybe add them to my own life!

until next time, xoxo, Ally