Imagine starting your day by leisurely eating cake in bed without a care in the world.
As university students, we tend to race out the door in the morning with maybe just a coffee to go, and by doing this day after day we are setting ourselves up for failure. Being rushed, skipping breakfast, living off caffeine, etcetera all take a toll on us and create a hard-to-manage university experience.
I would rather start my day off leisurely eating cake in bed without a care in the world than being a rushed and worn-out university student, but that isn’t realistic because I chose to be a rushed and worn-out university student.
That’s when the chorus in my head sings, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” I refuse to listen to that though. I’ve decided I will find a way to have my cake and eat it too…for breakfast.
“Cake for breakfast” is a mentality I’ve been trying to adopt to start my day on a positive note and have that carry throughout my day.
We are creatures of habit. Habits are powerful. The general consensus among scientists is that it takes a minimum of 21 days to form a new habit. Forming new habits may seem hard at first, but once they are formed, it is usually harder to break them.
There are five morning habits I am working on in order to create my “cake for breakfast” mentality.
Make my bed
Although the task of making your bed in the morning may seem quite simple and unimportant, in the book “The Power of Habit” author Charles Duhigg said, “Making your bed every morning is correlated with better productivity [and] a greater sense of well-being…”
He said it is a “keystone habit” that because it promotes a chain reaction of positive decision making.
Meditate and use positive affirmations
I use the Headspace app for meditation. Each session is 10 minutes long. The first 10 days are free.
Positive affirmations are phrases you repeat to yourself like, “I breathe in positivity and exhale negativity,” and, “Loving myself gives me the extra energy to work through any problem more quickly. My life is a labor of love.” I say mine after my meditation.
Exercise
You don’t have to go to a gym to get your exercise in. I practice yoga, do pilates or run with my dog.
There are semester long physical education courses offered right here on campus (step workout, weight training and more), a wide variety of follow-along YouTube videos, and apps for a quick workout that can be done anywhere.
Listen to the right type of music
For me, the right type of music is calming but energizing at the same time. I listen to the the “Productive Morning” playlist on Spotify.
Find music that sets the tone you want for your day.
Drink tea and don’t skip breakfast
I drink herbal tea because I love the ambiance it creates and it works better than caffeine for me. On a typical day, I will have a smoothie and then take my tea to go.
I also like oatmeal because it’s quick, easy and I stay fuller longer. Breakfast doesn’t have to take a long time to make. Maybe a protein shake to go is your style? Another option is to have actual cake for breakfast. Do it. Treat yourself. Why not? Maybe just not everyday…
Whatever they may be, find those sweet things that help to start your day on a positive note. Even just one could bring you closer to your “cake for breakfast” mentality.