“It takes 21 days to build a habit,” says the old adage, but we’re not so sure this is a cold, hard fact. Implementing new behaviors is different for everyone, and what easily fits into your best friend’s life may not work quite as well for you.
But that definitely doesn’t mean you can’t set a goal and make it happen! When it comes to building healthy or thoughtful new habits, we’re fans of the “slow and steady wins the race” approach: small, meaningful tweaks and upgrades that make your life easier and help you tiptoe your way into a new habit or life practice. Sometimes all it takes is a few little adjustments or thoughtful purchases to upgrade your routine and make it feel natural, and most of all, easy.
Ready to make a change? Wondering how to build better habits? We're here to help you turn your goals into actionable steps—and eventually, new habits that become a seamless part of your day and your life! What laundry?
The Habit: Wake Up Earlier
Tired of hitting the snooze and sleeping late, then hurrying through your morning to get to class or work on time? We’ve been there. You don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn for a productive day, but adjusting your a.m. routine can make a major difference in how your day unfolds.
Instead of relying on your phone alarm, where you can easily tap the snooze button when you’re drowsy and stay in bed for just ten more minutes, try an alarm clock instead, preferably something you can’t easily reach from bed! There are so many alarm clock options to try: analog, digital, a clock that mimics the sunrise… you can really customize your clock experience, which is part of the fun.
To help your body adjust to your desired wake-up call, try setting the alarm anywhere from five to 15 minutes earlier each day: 7:30 one day, 7:15 the next, and so on. Give yourself adequate time (pun intended) to adapt and soon enough, you'll be waking up before your alarm goes off—and liking it! Another way to become a morning person is to give yourself something to look forward to when you're out of bed, like a fancy coffee or a skincare routine you legitimately enjoy doing.
The Habit: Stay on Top of Your Laundry
It happens to the best of us: suddenly, there are piles of dirty laundry everywhere, and it’s going to take an entire day to catch up, not to mention sort, fold, and put it all away. Whoops!
Instead of ignoring those rapidly growing piles, make your laundry basket somewhat of a focal point in your room. Buy a cute laundry basket and keep it in a central location so you can easily tell when it’s getting full; a bag style with shoulder straps makes dorm life laundry day or a trip to the laundromat a lot more convenient, as does a light, portable rolling Hulken bag that you can wheel behind you or pop on your shoulder. (It also collapses flat when you're not using it, saving precious space in a tiny dorm room or bedroom!) If you can, set aside a specific day of the week, like Wednesday, for laundry so it becomes part of your regular routine.
The Habit: Reduce Screen Time
We’re all obsessed with our phones, tablets, and laptops, but many of us want to unplug a bit and spend more time actually experiencing the world, not just seeing it on a screen. One of the best ways to slow down your screen time and pick up or pursue a hobby is by keeping your hands busy! A watercolor kit is a fun, no-pressure way to get into painting, and the beloved The Artist’s Way workbook is a guided path to unlocking a new level of creativity. Maybe you want to try crochet? A cute Woobles kit is a great place to start.
The Habit: Read More Books
Maybe you read all the time as a kid but have fallen off in recent years. Maybe you set a Goodreads goal and want to hit it by the end of the year. Maybe you just want to scroll less and read more. Whatever your motivation, reading is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in new worlds, enhance empathy, and spark creativity.
Physical books are wonderful and many people prefer to hold an actual object in their hands, but they are slightly less portable during a busy day—especially if you're reading a thick, heavy, TikTok-viral book like Lonesome Dove or The Count of Monte Cristo. An e-reader like the Kindle is lightweight and easy to tuck into your bag so you can get a few pages in while waiting for the bus or between classes, and you can load several books to your library to switch things up depending on your mood. Instead of pulling out your phone when you’re bored or waiting in line, grab your book and dive back in.
The Habit: Keep Your Room Clean
Do you struggle with tidiness? When you’re super busy or stressed, it can show up in your personal space via mountains of laundry (like we talked about above!), leftover dishes, or piles upon piles atop your desk or dresser. But a messy room can also impact your mood and mental health; doing just a tiny bit of cleaning every day can make a huge difference in the state of your space.
Before you hop into bed at night, take just five or ten minutes to tidy up. (Set a timer if you need to.) Toss any trash, clean up clutter on your desk or nightstand, hang up clothes, and take any dishes to the kitchen or common area. If you’ve got a little more time, grab a dust cloth and get to work wiping away any dust or sticky spots, then spritz some air freshener or open the window to freshen up the space. Bins and baskets can be a helpful way to corral clutter and keep things organized, including accessories and knickknacks, and velvet hangers keep even your silkiest, slipperiest tops from sliding to the floor of your closet.
The Habit: Drink More Water
Everyone knows how important it is to stay hydrated, but chugging 64+ ounces of water per day can be a lot to handle at first. However, your body craves the simple hydration of water, and if you're not getting enough, it can show on your face.
For some people, increasing their water intake is as simple as finding a water bottle that works for them and taking it everywhere, or one that lists out when and how much to drink to hit a specific goal. There are sporty water bottles, straw water bottles, cute colorful ones you can match to your outfit—we're basically at peak water bottle, so take advantage of it.
If you drink a lot of soda or juice, try swapping just one serving per day for water, then increasing to two servings and so on. Not a huge fan of the taste of water (yet)? Add a sprinkle of lemon or another flavor to get your taste buds on board.
The Habit: Stop Procrastinating
Between schoolwork, a job, and your social life, you probably feel a little stretched thin and stressed out by everything you need to keep track of. Totally normal! Maybe this also means you tend to put things off 'til the last minute, then end up rushing through your tasks or forgetting them entirely.
For many people, if you write it down, it sticks in your memory better—and feels like a concrete task instead of a concept of something you should be doing. Instead of relying entirely on your phone calendar, buy a physical paper planner and write down your daily and weekly tasks. A spiral-bound style can be popped into your backpack or laid flat on your desk so it's always with you. Or maybe you respond better to a daily to-do list; checking that box feels so motivating, you're likely to continue the habit. For reminders, grab some cute, colorful Post-Its and hang them where you'll see them to encourage you to buckle down and get to work when the heat is on.
The Habit: Get Better, More Restful Sleep—Every Night
Sleep is so important to your success at school and in life. Regularly pulling all-nighters, scrolling TikTok before bed, falling asleep with the TV on, and stress can all impact your sleep quality, leaving you feeling tired and sluggish the next day. Sleep is when your body resets itself, so it’s essential to get deep, restorative ZZZs as often as possible.
Dorm life can be super distracting and interrupt a good night’s sleep, what with bright hall lights and noisy neighbors. A sound machine can help drown out some of that background noise, and a thick sleep mask—the darker, the better!—will block out excess light from your roommate’s computer screen.
In addition to environmental distractions, get a handle on your digital distractions! Put your phone on sleep mode and ditch the TV or tablet for a book or guided meditation to help you drift off. If you toss and turn or wake up frequently, a weighted blanket may be a soothing addition to your bedding and your mindset. Sweet dreams!
