College Morning Routine: Autumn Edition

The morning is such an important time for me. It used to be the worst, as far as chronic illnesses go. I was barely functional in the mornings, would struggle to get out of bed everyday, and everything took me far longer than it would take the rest of my family – not helpful if you have five people getting ready at the same time with only two bathrooms, all trying to get to school. Things have shifted for me over the years. While I’m certainly not chipper if you make me get up or want me to be productive at five am everyday, I can make it work for special occasions. The afternoon, however, is a different story. Three to five is usually the worst time of day for me, and mornings (on my terms) can be quite good.

How did I get around to making mornings my time? Great question.

I stopped doing things the “normal” way. I started doing them my way. The way that works for a chronically ill, disabled service dog handler who is making the most of life as a full-time university student. That’s not to say that this can’t be helpful or beneficial to you if you don’t fall into any of these categories. You may learn something new from this. You may find a way to even cut some time down on your own morning routine!

My Autumn Morning Routine:

After I’m awake, I check the weather. This is important because I need to figure out what the weather is, how it differs from recent weather patterns if at all, and how my body may react to any changes or the temperatures in general. Yep, you read that right, my body is temperamental based on the weather. Before I am even out of bed, I’m planning my day around accommodating my illnesses.

While I do this, I slowly get up, moving from a lying to upright position. If I move too quickly, my symptoms of Dysautonomia will spike and I’ll have to lay down and start over – and it’ll take longer! Slow and steady wins this race.

As soon as I’m able to get out of bed I head straight to the bathroom.

More specifically, I head to the stool I keep tucked under my sink and sit down as soon as I’ve reached it. If I take my medications right as I get out of bed, I get sick. But without them, I can’t stand to do anything! This allows me to actually get ready and be productive before I take my pills.

Once seated, I take my retainers out and brush my teeth. Then put my hair up in my favorite scrunchie if it isn’t already and wash my face. I start with just some water on a washcloth to get any sleep off of my face, pour some Thayer’s Witch Hazel onto a cotton round and gently swipe that over my face. Since adding this product to my regimen six months ago, I’ve definitely noticed that it has generally improved my skin. Needless to say I’m a huge fan.

Next, I treat any acne spots I have. While that cream settles into my skin, I usually take my medications, get dressed, and feed my service dog her breakfast, before I make and eat my breakfast. If I hadn’t set my clothes out for myself the night before or the weather has changed, I take the time that I spend washing my face and brushing my teeth to figure out what I need to wear. This helps keep me from wasting time just standing in front of my closet (something I can’t physically do in the mornings) or staring at my dresser!

Once I’m dressed and have eaten, I’ll finish my skin care routine.

I’ll put on sunscreen everyday regardless of what I’m doing. I’m currently using Neutrogena’s Gel HydroBoost sunscreen. I absolutely love how it feels on my face! If my skin is feeling dry, I’ll put on Clinique moisture surge moisturizer before my sunscreen. No dry skin here! If I’m a bit red or just feel like it, I’ll use my BB Primer cream from Tarte. That goes on last and completes my skin care routine!

I’ll check the weather once more, pick the most appropriate shoes considering the time I’ll be out, and put my service dog’s gear on her. My backpack I pack the night before, and keep by my door so I can just grab it and go. Usually if I’ve got anything to put in it it’s just my laptop, if I charged it overnight. Lastly, I’ll grab my ear buds, put on some music or a podcast (here are three I’m loving right now), throw on whatever jackets I may need, and head out!

On my way out of my room, I’ll flip the little clip on my “Where Am I?” board to my destination so that my residents know where I am, just in case they come to my room looking for me. And off I go!

I usually leave with an hour to 45 minutes to go before my class begins.

This allows for any mishaps or medical issues that may occur to (hopefully) work themselves out and for me to still make it to class!

I also really like having the opportunity to take my service dog on a little morning walk before class. She gets so excited when we turn off the main path into the neighborhoods and I tell her she’s off duty for a bit. It’s really cute, and let’s her get out some energy (if she so chooses) before we take on our day. This is a great opportunity for getting fall photos as well! The trees in the neighborhood have been absolutely gorgeous recently (as seen on my Instagram story).

There you have it, my autumn college morning routine.

Obviously, depending on the day this routine will sometimes vary a bit, but this is the gist of my mornings at my university! I really like having the time to go for walks in the morning, so I may start getting up earlier if I can manage also going to sleep earlier!

I am hoping to maybe switch things up for winter if I do start to have this extra time, but we’ll see what happens. Of course, if things change, I’ll just share a new blog post about it!

What’s your favorite part of your morning routine? Let me know in the comments!