HEALTH

It's summer! Yay! No more school, which means no more super rigid daily routine. That's a good thing, right?

Well...not always. While having more free time during the summer means you get to relax, it might also mean that your days end up blending together. You might wake up on the first day of school next year and realize that you didn't do much except sit around all summer. While the routine school gives us can get tiring, it also forces us to take action every day and be productive.

But just because you're not in school anymore doesn't mean you can't take charge of your day. Here are some simple steps you can take this summer to balance relaxation with routine.

Wake up at the same time every day

If there's one thing you *don't* want to do this summer, it's mess up your sleep schedule. Irregular sleep patterns have terrible consequences for your health. You don't need to wake up at the crack of dawn like you might have during the school year, but make sure your bedtime and rising time are consistent through the next few months. Your mood, hormones and energy levels will be a lot more stable.

Motivate yourself to do your skincare

I don't know about you, but the first part of my normal routine that goes out the window during the summer is my skincare regimen. When I'm getting ready for school every day, it's a no-brainer to apply all my acne-fighting, skin-soothing products and seal them with SPF daily (that California sun, amiright?).

But in the summer, when I don't really have anywhere to go, I don't feel as motivated to keep pimples and dry patches at bay. Obviously, I end up breaking out, which is far from ideal.

So how do you stick to your skincare even when you don't feel like it? Keep your routine simple. I found it a lot easier to find the energy to apply my skincare every a.m. when I cut back on the number of products I was using. Analyze your top skin concerns to find out which products you actually need, and which ones are just taking up space on the counter.

Eat a balanced breakfast

When you're not going to school, breakfast can seem pretty pointless. After all, what do you need to fuel up for? You don't need that extra energy if you don't have any exams or extracurriculars later in the day, right?

Not so fast! Making sure you eat something healthy and nutritious in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. Even if you're not really feeling the heavier, hot breakfasts we tend to eat during the winter, try to at least incorporate some protein and fiber into your first meal of the day. A light spinach and egg wrap or some cottage cheese on sourdough bread are a couple of tasty *and* healthy options.

Do something productive before noon

It can get really easy to push off something you need to do for later. Whether it's chores or summer reading, this time of year makes us feel like we have all the time in the world, and we sometimes don't notice when that time is slipping away. But if you force yourself to tackle at least one thing from your to-do list before midday, you're more likely to get the ball rolling on your productivity. It's way* easier to get through a whole checklist once one thing has already been crossed off.

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Top image: @monicamarra

by Hana Tilksew | 6/17/2024