The Routine of Routines

WRITING

Medha Shah

MODELING Coco Lheritier Sophia Akhter

PHOTOGRAPHY

Azra Schorr

DESIGN Tanya Kler

I’ve always been someone who needs to set 10 when asked if I’m a morning or night person, I say morning because it’s when I feel the most productive. You’re probably thinking, “Medha, that doesn’t make any sense,” and you’re kind of right. I say I’m a morning person because I love my morning routine. Completing a small list of tasks for myself makes me feel accomplished and helps me carry this positive energy throughout the rest of my day.

Then, I like to begin some light stretching to get my blood circulating, which usually helps me feel more awake. Next, I head to the bathroom where most of the magic happens. As someone who struggles with acne, my skincare routine is extremely important to me. With eight steps, I wouldn’t exactly call it simple, but to me they’re all necessary. What I’ve learned over the years is that consistency is key. Your skin takes a while to adjust to new products and in turn, products 15 minutes later, I come out feeling refreshed and equipped with a mental checklist of all the things I need to do. Nowadays, I rarely wear makeup since I’m mostly just at home. But if I’m feeling a little extra, I’ll throw on some concealer and mascara.

Before feeding myself, I also like to water my plants through my room. Tending to them is calming, and I love watching them grow. After I get dressed, I select a perfume for the day. I have three options that I rotate between, depending on my mood.

scent that complements the various candles I like to burn in my room. When going out, I like switching between fruity or musky perfumes. Scents are really important to me, and they help set the tone for the day.

While I’m not a huge breakfast person, I like to end my morning routine with a small bowl of granola and almond milk. I’ll also use this time to catch up on emails and write down all the things I need to get done for the day.

Creating a routine for myself wasn’t something I did until I came to college. Here, I had no one holding me accountable but myself and I needed bed, and have added more steps along the way. My routine still isn’t perfect by any means, but something I’ve also translated into my night routine.

makeup and hopping into the shower. It’s my happy place and it’s where I do a lot of thinking. After my teeth and pop in the good old retainer, since years of braces weren’t enough. Next, I’ll brush out my hair and apply some of my favorite hair oil to my ends. It smells like jasmine, and reminds me of the summers I spent visiting my grandparents in India. until I fall asleep.

In the past year, these routines have become an integral part of my life. Like everyone else, I lost my normal schedule when COVID-19 hit. I quickly spiraled into a lazy routine, wearing only pajamas and staying in bed all day. All my motivation was gone and it was taking a toll on my productivity. I got back into my routines, I began to feel like myself again. My morning routine set me up for a full day of success, while my nighttime routine helped me unwind and get a good night’s rest. Routines help us function as humans — whether habits for us to build upon and can make us feel powerful while also reducing anxiety.