Summer is here, and so is the free time that you have been yearning for these past nine months. However, with free time comes responsibility, as you now have to motivate yourself to get out of bed and not just watch Netflix all day. Without the external pressures of school and social commitments, you may find that motivation is at an all time low. You may justify that you used up all of your motivation for your grades last semester, but don’t be fooled. You still have that motivation deep down. It just needs to be dug up in order for you to have a productive and worthwhile summer. So grab your shovel, and follow these quick and easy tips towards finding your residual motivation.
1. Make your bed every morning. This is something that I also do during the school year. I don’t know what it is about making your bed, but I think it has something to do with how you can’t really get back into it after you make it. The neatness of your bedroom kind of gives you this feeling that says you really can take on the world.
2. Eat breakfast. This is something that a lot of people our age ignore, and they shouldn't, because there is a solid reason for why breakfast is called “the most important meal of the day.” Breakfast does literally what it says in its name. It breaks the fast (not eating for about eight hours), which gets your metabolism running and your brain working. Not eating breakfast is like not getting dressed. Without it, you are basically useless. So, do yourself a favor and eat a yummy breakfast.
3. Take a 15 minute walk after breakfast. Walks are very relaxing, and they enable you to self-reflect and set goals or a list of things to do for the day. If you have a dog, that’s even better! Take your dog on a walk and relax as your skin basks in the peaking sun. Somebody needs to walk the dog anyway.
4. Live on campus over the summer. I don’t know about you, but if I go home at any time of the year, all I do is lay around and cuddle with my bunny and wiener dogs. My mom makes me food, my dad fixes my car, and my brother provides me with social interaction, so there is really nothing I need to do on my own. Living on campus over the summer enables me to concentrate on my life and do productive things, like working a job. Plus, living on campus during the summer is super fun!
5. Get dressed. I really enjoy staying in my pajamas until having to see people, but getting dressed right when you wake up really helps get your day going. Wearing clothes that are not leggings, Nike shorts, or oversized t-shirts will help you feel energized and ready for the day. I know how hard it is to get dressed in big people clothes, but try setting out what you are going to wear the night before. This also saves time in the morning, as long as you promise yourself that you will not change your outfit twenty times.
