Anagha Sainath Week #11: Chronically Disorganized, Religiously Moisturized
I would consider myself to be a very chaotic person. I have no planner, only a vague checklist in my brain of pressing deadlines. My room is in a perpetual state of varying degrees of disorder. My bedtime fluctuates wildly, from 10:00 PM to 3:00 AM with almost no in-between. However, one thing that I’ve prided myself on for as long as I can remember is my ability to form and keep routines. I believe that having a solid routine for certain things can define your productivity and your general mood, adding a sense of stability to an otherwise unpredictable life.
Take my mornings, for example. I begrudgingly drag myself out of bed, wash my face and brush my teeth, and then start my skincare routine in a very specific order. I spray on my toner, rub in my serums, apply liberal amounts of moisturizer, and finally, top it all off with sunscreen. Although my products may change from time to time, the routine remains unchanged. In fact, I don’t think I’ve stepped out of the house without sunscreen on my face in years. The rest of my routine continues; I put on a pair of earrings and a necklace, douse myself in perfume, and meticulously curl my eyelashes before rushing out the door. This routine keeps me grounded during hectic mornings and ensures that I have a fresh and methodical start to my day. Although this may sound boring or tedious to some people, a routine is how I anchor myself.
My night routine, involving a similar skincare routine along with eyelash serum and a lip mask, has the same effect on me. It gives me something to rely on and ground me, day after day. Regardless of how hectic or horrible my day is, I can always count on my beloved routines to keep me sane.
All this to say, if you’ve been feeling stressed or overwhelmed recently with junior year problems, I highly recommend finding a solid routine. Our brains crave a sense of order to stay fulfilled, as unpredictability goes hand in hand with stress. A routine has the power to put the outcome of your day back into your own control.
One of my favorite quotes of all time is actually from Hamilton, and I think it applies very well to this blog— “I am the one thing in life I can control.” No matter how much we wish it were true, we cannot control how much work our teachers give us nor the way other people act. But we can control how we set up our day. So take control of your life—start small, build a routine, and let it be your anchor in the sea of high school chaos.
Hey Anagha! Your first sentence is so relatable. Whenever I make lists, I often forget about them and eventually go back to just remembering all the deadlines and tasks I need to do in my brain. If my parents did not constantly nag me to clean up my room, I am sure everything would be in disarray. I also relate to the fluctuating bedtime, as it changes depending on the amount of homework I have and whether it is a weekend or not. Unfortunately, I simply cannot have a “solid routine” like you. Whenever I make a timetable, I realize that a task takes longer or shorter than I anticipated and that throws off my entire schedule. So, I do not keep such schedules, which further disorganizes my life. My brain definitely “crave[s] a sense of order” which I am not able to provide. I am really inspired by your final paragraph about taking control of my life by creating a routine and will definitely try to do so this week.
ReplyDeleteHi Anagha! It seems that the only routine I can keep are the ones that are actually beneficial to me. I wish I had the discipline to follow a daily schedule. I live day by day, no matter how many times my dad tries to push a planner into my hands. Unfortunately for me, my skincare routine is NOT working for me. Even without a schedule, I feel that there is always an underlying routine to things, even if it's beyond our control. I aspire to be able to take control of my life but unless I make a plan to do that, I doubt it will ever happen.
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