UC Davis students share details of their daily routines
By AMBER WARNKE — features@theaggie.org
Having healthy habits and routines can help students start their day fresh and keep them regulated throughout the busy life of a college student. Whether it’s taking five minutes to reflect on their day before they go to bed or being mindful about the way they drink their morning coffee, starting out with small changes can turn into long-term routines over time.
Mariam Soifer, a second-year sustainable agriculture and food systems major, involves purposeful movement in her morning routine, taking time to start her day with a set of stretches.
“It’s just something that I feel like I need to start the day with,” Soifer said. “It helps me get more limber from my night’s sleep and helps [keep] me [grounded].”
Stretching is known to have a variety of health benefits, including stress relief, improved balance and coordination and increased circulation. This is especially important for college students, who can spend hours a day sitting in lecture or doing homework, which can lead to poor circulation in the body.
Another habit Soifer has started implementing is completing daily meditations, which further help her stay calm amidst the stressors of college life.
“It was even just for five minutes, and I felt a really big difference from that,” Soifer said.
Meditation has been proven to be beneficial to mental health, decreasing stress, improving memory and attention and even decreasing blood pressure, depression and anxiety. The thought of meditating every day can be daunting to some, but it can be helpful to remember that meditation can last for as long as one wants, and even just a few minutes spent doing it can have a huge impact.
Benton Buecker, a second-year environmental policy analysis and planning major, also benefits from the routines he uses to start the day.
“Usually with my coffee, I usually like to get my mind going in the morning by playing some of those [online] games, like the New York Times Connections, New York Times Mini Crosswords and Duolingo,” Buecker said. “I really think that it’s a good way to, at least with those games, […] get your brain up and at them and thinking.”
Games like this are also proven to be good for the brain, boosting memory, improving focus and even slowing down cognitive decline in aging. One game Buecker particularly favors is called Juxtastat, which is free to play online and features trivia questions about geography.
“[The games] get your brain thinking in different ways,” Buecker said. “It’s good for critical thinking.”
Ava Dillard, a UC Davis alumna, also has daily routines that allow her to engage her mind, including setting aside time to read nightly before bed.
“I think it’s great to have time away from my phone and at the same time be transported to another world,” Dillard said. “I fall asleep right away [after].”
Studies have shown that reading before bed can lead to better quality of sleep, helping reduce stress at the end of a long day and redirecting time that many people would spend on their phones before bed, which can make it more difficult to get a good night’s rest.
Another routine Dillard has implemented into her schedule is spending time in green spaces as often as she can.
“Every lunch, I will go eat in the community garden by one of my favorite parks, and it’s so lovely,” Dillard said. “I’m usually the only one there, and it’s just me and the bees.”
Spending time outdoors has immense benefits for mental and physical health, improving creativity and problem-solving skills, which can be particularly appealing to college students. It also correlates with better heart health, better sleep and less risk of chronic disease.
However, students don’t necessarily need to go backpacking to reap these benefits. Even studying outdoors, taking short walks outside and noticing the nature around them while biking on campus can be helpful.
While being intentional about your daily habits is beneficial at any stage of life, college students may find it particularly important, as they can set habits now to follow well after college and into their careers. What may start out as five minutes of meditation now can lead to better focus in the workforce and an improved ability to work well against a stressful deadline.
Building workout routines into one’s life now can turn into a healthier lifestyle for years to come, and spending just a few minutes sorting out your schedule the week prior can lead to better time management and planning skills.
“I think we’re at a time of our lives where we’re creating, establishing or solidifying certain habits, and if we want to bring those into our adulthood, then I think this would be a perfect time for that,” Soifer said.
Defining habits and routines can also be helpful in college due to the increased routines students can access on campus. Davis students looking for better or more structured exercise routines can join a workout class or a recreational sport at the Activities and Recreation Center.
UC Davis also offers free library books to students hoping to spend more time reading, as well as the Arboretum to Aggies seeking to implement more time in nature into their routines. Even just taking a brief walk through the Arboretum a few times a week, reading for 10 minutes before bed or going for a quick run every few days can make a big impact on your day-to-day life.
Soifer believes that intentional routines and habits are not only helpful but also an important element of self-growth.
“[Forming habits] comes from a desire to work on yourself and feel good and comfortable in yourself,” Soifer said. “It’s an active love — like a service to yourself.”
Written By: Amber Warnke — features@theaggie.org
