JACK WILLIAMS | STAFF REPORTER | jrwilliams@butler.edu
A cup of black coffee, a daily skincare regimen and an early HRC workout share one thing in common: they are all part of the morning routine of a member of the Butler community. These habits provide something to look forward to in the morning when the Sunday scaries hit hard. A little space to reflect can go a long way in improving the rest of the day, and Butler students and faculty are happy to share their daily habits.
Photo by Lauren Gdowski.
Ella Tucker, a first-year history and political science major, begins her day with a skincare routine and some pump-up music. She likes to have at least a half-hour to wake up before heading out.
“I feel like I have to listen to music,” Tucker said. “Otherwise, I’m going to fall right back asleep. I love listening to country music … fun stuff like that. And I definitely have to do skincare … just kind of things to wake me up.”
Together with a cup of iced coffee, that burst of energy carries her through the day.
Photo by Lauren Gdowski.
Other students prefer to begin their day with a moment of calm. Joy Brown, a sophomore English major, keeps a journal.
“I’ll draw a little flow chart of what I’m thinking if I’m trying to plan [the day] in my head,” Brown said. “What do I need to do to get there? Seeing a visual representation of that has always been very helpful to me.”
This visual aid helps Brown go through her day one step at a time, rather than being overwhelmed by a packed schedule. However, she finds peace in the morning even on the days she doesn’t have time to journal.
“My favorite part of the morning is whenever I leave my room and make my little walk across campus to wherever I’m going,” Brown said. “It’s nice to be outside and have that calming time to myself.”
Photo by Lauren Gdowski.
Morning routines aren’t limited to only students. Amy Arnold, the office and student personnel services administrator for the College of Education, has a set of deeply ingrained habits.
“I get up [at] crazy early hours of the morning, and I like to start my day with exercise of some sort,” Arnold said. “That’s sometimes running, sometimes swimming, sometimes biking to work. I just find that it gets my brain moving for the day.”
How early is crazy early? Well, Arnold sets her alarm for 4:55 a.m.. It can be hard to get out of bed, but she loves the quiet of the morning before downtown Indianapolis wakes up.
“In the morning, there’s hardly any traffic, and it’s really quiet in the whole city,” Arnold said. “There’s a hush to it. Even in the winter, when it’s snowing or foggy, it’s extra quiet. There’s this wonderful sense no matter what time of year of this quiet before dawn.”
Photo by Lauren Gdowski.
Meghan Fischbach, a sophomore dance major, likes to wake up at least two hours before her first event. She gets a head start so she can be ready for intense morning dance classes, which can begin at 9 a.m..
“I have black coffee every morning to start out, and then, usually later in the day, I’ll do a fun coffee, but I always start with black,” Fischbach said. “This semester, I’ve been trying to go on walks in the mornings to wake up my body.”
On cold days when she cannot go for a walk, Fischbach will still try to squeeze some kind of warmup in. Whatever the activity is, the important part is finding a way to wake up on a positive note.
Students and staff at Butler have each found unique ways to put themselves in the right headspace to seize the day. Sometimes, it really is the little things in life that make all the difference.
