As school has crept closer and closer, I have had a mixture of both excitement and dread. Excitement, because I get to lead an awesome Bible study at my church. Dread, because I am the least motivated academic you may have ever met.
Because school takes up, really, seven days a week, I have to figure out a way to stay positive and energetic throughout classes, study sessions, and those long hours of quiet reading. I have found that people often tell others to “have ‘me’ time” but I’ve never really known what that looked like until this year. Committing time to yourself is so important, but that doesn’t mean the only ways to relax are unhealthy like hours of TV or two naps a day. Instead, I found three things I not only need, but absolutely love to do in a morning in order to maintain motivation and a healthy mindset.
1. Exercise!
Working out is a love of mine. It probably comes from the fact that I played three sports a year in all six years of junior high and high school. That much competition and exercise forced me to feel it was natural to run in Texas heat at 4pm five days a week and that if you weren’t in pain after lifting, you didn’t do enough. Either way, exercise is crucial to my mental health. Yep! You read that right: mental health, not physical. I don’t eat super bad, like I did earlier in college, and I walk quite a bit on campus. Weight and my general food intake aren’t big concerns for me, and that’s really just a blessing from the Lord. But it is so important for me to push myself, to exert energy, and to feel accomplished within the first hour of my morning. Even if I do poorly on a quiz or feel stressed about a work load, I get to remember that I have succeeded in at least one area that day, and that helps me push through the harder stuff.
2. A Good Breakfast
I love food. I love tasty food. I love fast food. I love organic food. I love pretty food. If I could spend all of my time taking hipster pictures of different meals or sharing recipes with everyone, I would. But I am a full-time college student, a student-employee, and not all that great of a cook. However, this doesn’t keep me from enjoying my at-home meals! I didn’t always believe that breakfast was the most important meal of the day, but now I’m a huge proponent of it!
When I take the time to make myself something clean and filling, it not only satisfies my food cravings but also gives me much-needed energy for the long and busy day ahead. If all I did was grab on-the-go Whataburger and a Starbucks milkshake (both are things I will do occasionally, for I am not above Whata or the Bucks), I would quickly become poor and feel awful all day. That’s why I take the time to either boil a few eggs, cut up an avocado, toast whole wheat bread, make a greek yogurt fruit bowl, or have a banana with almond butter! I can buy all of these things at the store the night before my week begins and can change up what I eat each morning. My go-to is a fried egg with avocado on top and a fruit bowl on the side. It’s exactly what I had this morning, and held me over until lunch time! Oh, and if coffee is an issue: get a cold brew pitcher to make the day before so you can have a tasty and cheaper energy boost along with your meal or to drink throughout the afternoon!
3. Bible Time
For the non-religious, this could be your time of meditation, or simple reflection. But for me, I have got to have some one-on-one Jesus time before I start my hectic, and sometimes discouraging, day. This is important for a few reasons…
One, it helps me put into perspective what my entire purpose for the day is: to help others find and follow Jesus. When everything else seems like it will make or break me, I want to remember that loving those around me is so much more important. It’s easier to remember this when I have taken time in prayer, the Bible, and journaling.
Two, Jesus deserves my time. I don’t want to waste every free moment I have on sleep or Netflix or a date. I want to take time out of my day to commit thankfulness and conversation with the Lord. He is my King and He has allowed me to have another day here on Earth: praising Him for it is important.
Three, I want to be better about knowing God’s Word. People will often say the Bible is half or mostly true. But to me, I consider it to be the sovereign and perfect truth of our Lord. Because of this view, it becomes all the more significant to know and memorize His book. So the more I read from Him, the better I can understand the Word and all that it contains.
This is a lot to do in one morning before my 9ams. But waking up early, around 6:30, provides me the time to start my day right. At the end of each of my mornings, I have yet to regret waking up a couple of hours earlier than usual. It’s not a fool-proof formula for making each day great, but it definitely gives me energy and passion in taking on the crazy days ahead!
-Mal
Mallory Chapman 