Wake up. Eat. Go to School. Do extracurricular activities. Go back home. Eat. Finish homework. Take a shower. Study. Sleep. Wake up, repeat the whole cycle again and count the days left until the weekend.

Like a hamster stuck in the same routine every day, my daily routine is limited in what I can do. I frequently found myself stuck in situations where my life would feel dull, colorless and repetitive. 

Every morning, I am woken up by my mom calling my name. Then, I would get ready to head to school. Once I get to school, I’m always met with the same two schedules. Block A, which includes Speech and Debate, U.S History Honors, International Baccalaureate (IB) Math Higher Level (HL) 1 and Journalism Honors. Block B includes Speech and Debate, IB Environmental Systems and Societies, Italian 5-6 and IB English HL 1. 

After school, I would either attend my Speech and Debate workshops or late labs for the school Newspaper on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On top of that, I attend my math classes near the school’s campus every Wednesday and Friday. By the end of the day, I feel burnt out with all the tasks I have to finish—which led to my frequent procrastination. 

Due to the repetitive routine that I am met with every day, I seem to have lost the excitement in my day-to-day life. It was almost as if I was going through “senioritis” as a junior. I counted the days until the weekends, as it was motivation to finish my work. Unfortunately, as soon as the weekend came, it passed by  swiftly, without a trace.

During fall and summer break, I developed a habit of walking around my neighborhood and enjoying the outdoors whilst listening to calming music. This helped me reflect on the day. So, during times when I felt stressed due to school, I tried walking for at least 15 minutes while listening to my favorite artists: Far Caspian, Sufjan Stevens, IU… the list goes on. As expected, I felt the burden lift up, brightening up my day.

Then, I decided to try journaling. I would rant about my day, reflect or write how I felt. As I place the last period at the end of my last sentence, a sense of relief or calmingness rushes over me. Wanting to pursue another of my interest, I then bought a guitar. I enjoy listening to acoustic music because it calms me, which was why I started learning how to play. As of now, it helps me get through the week. It is something I look forward to doing once I get home, allowing me to stop myself from procrastinating. 

Despite my repetitive schedule, I cope by spending time doing what I enjoy. This gives me something to enjoy in life and get through the weekdays.

Whether it be strumming the strings of my guitar, taking a short walk or journaling and reflecting on how my day went, consistently participating in a hobby I enjoy allows me to feel excited. I now look forward to the following day. Instead of procrastinating or wasting time scrolling through my phone, I focus on developing a skill or hobby that I enjoy which makes me feel better about myself.