If you’re looking for a morning routine for college girls, it’s probably because you recognize two things: the vital role mornings play in setting the tone for your day and how challenging it can be to create a realistic routine for the morning.

Perhaps you wonder if your mornings are slipping past you, lost somewhere between that third snoozed alarm and the breathless scramble out the door to your 9 AM class. You dream of a morning that feels relaxed yet productive, unhurried yet focused. You long to make the most of your mornings, but you don’t know where to start.

Or maybe you wonder whether college even is the time to care about your mornings. College, after all, is the time of late-night ice cream runs and dorm-room conversations with friends until long past midnight. Maybe a morning routine feels nice in theory but hopelessly unattainable in practice, something to keep on the backburner until after you’ve turned that tassel on your graduation cap and begun life in “the real world.”

Whether or not you’re convinced your mornings could use a makeover, I want to challenge you to consider just how crucial mornings are in equipping you to thrive in college. And I want to invite you, college girl, to realize the value of a routine. 

The Importance of a Morning Routine for College Girls

A morning routine for college girls is more than just a list of tasks to check off your to-do list at the day’s start. It is a collection of intentions and practices that can transform your morning into a sacred space, enabling you to take on those busy, bursting-with-fun college days.

That’s why I want to offer you this helpful morning routine for college girls. It was formulated with the help of my daughter, Lydia, a recent college graduate, and it’s more of a “skeleton” than an uber-detailed, itemized routine.

It’s up to you to fill in the details. Your routine should be catered to you, and that means that each step can take as much or little time as you prefer. You can even make a few different routines using this template (the Wake Up Well Checklist, found here). Create one routine for slower mornings, and one for those early-class mornings.

So, grab a pencil, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and keep reading. Let’s create a college morning routine that’s perfectly tailored to you.

Here’s Your Morning Routine for College Girls

Where It All Begins: The Night Before

I know you’ve likely heard it a hundred times, but it’s true: every morning routine begins the night before. It’s infinitely more difficult to maximize a morning when you’re so exhausted you can hardly peel your eyes open – and that means you’ve got to prioritize your sleep.

Aim for at least 7 hours, and ideally 8, hours of sleep per night, and do what you can to make your sleeping space – be it a dorm room or a sorority bunk – as cool, quiet, and dark as possible. I know people always seem to be up at all hours of the night at college, so opt for earplugs and an eye mask if you must.

Whatever you’re doing at night – whether it’s a sports game or an essay assignment – try to limit your screen time two hours before you go to bed. Write in a journal, read a book, chat with your roommate: how you wind down is your decision. (I know it’s difficult, but resist the temptation to lay in bed scrolling on TikTok until your eyes burn!)

Time to Wake Up

The alarm sounds. You fumble in the dark for your phone and, before you’re even half-coherent, you snooze it once. Then twice. Then another time. Next thing you know, you’re late – still exhausted – and you’ve barely got enough time to brush your teeth, much less intentionally go through a morning routine.

Sound familiar?

The ever-tempting choice to snooze your alarm is the one of the least ideal ways to begin your morning: it disrupts your sleep cycle, making you feel groggy, and it leaches time away from your morning routine. Avoid snoozing, and, if it helps, place your alarm across the room so you have to get up to shut it off. Alternatively, try a sunrise alarm clock (my daughters swear by them), which gently wakes you with a light source mimicking the rising of the sun.

The Day Begins

Now you’re up, and it’s time to get ready for the day. You can get entirely ready, or you can simply put on your glasses, brush your teeth, and stay in your pajamas until the last possible minute. 

It’s up to you: do whatever you need to do to feel like your day has begun.

Morning Movement

Next, it’s time for a little morning movement. Studies show that a small bit of exercise in the morning – even something as simple as a short walk – helps boost your mood, raise energy levels, reduce stress, and increase focus throughout your day.

Maybe your morning movement looks like a 5K run or a Pilates class at a nearby gym. If so, go for it!

Or maybe you haven’t got time – or the desire – for a longer, high-intensity workout in the morning. Try some light stretching or ten minutes of yoga in your room: anything to get your body moving and ready to tackle the day. 

Morning Mindfulness

A mindfulness practice is, in my opinion, one of the best things to incorporate into your morning. You can do it before or after your morning movement – or even alongside it. (How about a meditative walk, or breath prayer with your yoga?)

Mindfulness puts you on the right path for the day: it centers your mind, allows you to slow down amid the morning hustle, and invites you to think about the bigger picture floating above your day-to-day life.

Grab a mug of coffee and try one (or several) of these morning mindfulness practices:

• Write a list of 10 things you’re thankful for in a gratitude journal
• Read a short passage of Scripture and take 5 minutes to meditate on what it means to you
• Listen – actively listen – to a song you love, and resist the urge to multitask as you do so
• Set a timer and spend 15 minutes in prayer
• Read a chapter of a wellness book or a devotional, then journal about it
• Take a walk around your neighborhood or in a nearby park, and try to notice as much as you can about your surroundings

Above all, take time to be grateful for this morning, and cultivate hope and joy toward the day ahead, whatever it may hold.

What Makes a Morning for You?

After getting ready, doing some morning movement, and practicing morning mindfulness, the rest of your routine depends on what you want to get out of your morning.

Prioritize eating a healthy, protein-rich breakfast at some point (try a bowl of oatmeal with chia seeds or a banana with peanut butter), perhaps during your mindfulness activity.

Maybe your ideal morning includes time for socialization: call a family member, send a thoughtful text to a friend, or – if you have time – meet up with girlfriends for a walk.

Maybe you’d prefer to spend a bit more time alone, delving deeper into a Bible study or a writing project or a book you’re reading – not for class, just for you!

Whatever you end up doing, make it something you want to do. Practice dedicating some of your morning to yourself and to your passions. Make time for those rhythms of life most dear to you, before the noise and clutter of the day has a chance to crowd them out.

Begin your Day!

Finally, it’s time to begin your day! I pray this morning routine for college girls may shape your morning into one more restful, fulfilling, and intentional.

How you live your mornings is how you live your life, and it all starts with a morning routine. 

Perhaps a cheat sheet would be helpful? If so, access my Wake-Up Well Checklist, which you can use to 

• Center your heart on what matters most
• Stay grounded in Scripture and gratitude
• Start your day with purpose, without striving
• Honor your mind and body, not just your to-do list

Ten minutes is all you need! Tap below to download. (Read more about the Wake-Up Well Checklist here.)

College Girls like You Contributed to my Book!

One more thing! I’d love to show you how to not just tolerate or barely like your mornings, but how to truly LOVE them. There’s a whole section dedicated to college girls in my book, How to Love Your Morning: Faith-Filled Habits to Build a Life of Joy and Purpose One Day at a time.

Article by Jennifer Dukes Lee with Lydia Lee.

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