I do not know of one person who has mastered the craft of time management. For a majority of people, time management is most relevant to either school or work. You are expected to adhere to deadlines. You are rewarded or punished in the form of pay or grades. But where else does time management come into play? In every possible aspect of life.

I have gone through many stages throughout the pandemic. At first, I was in a state of shock. That adjustment period lasted for months. I had so much free time on my hands that I fell into the TikTok black hole most of us have fallen victim to.

After my TikTok phase, I fell in love with working out — almost too much. I compiled a YouTube playlist of all of my favorite videos and worked out religiously for two weeks. The constant sore muscles and Epsom Salt baths became too monotonous that I burnt myself out. I had no structure and did not know what to do with myself or how to handle all of that time.

Being an extrovert, the past year has been tough, no doubt. But it also changed me for the better because I got ample time to reevaluate myself and my priorities. This self-reflection motivated me to establish a stable routine, which has helped me better manage my time. This ties into my aforementioned self-evaluation — to not only stay sane during this pandemic but also prosper, I started becoming more aware of how I allocate my time based on my priorities.

Time management is not just about how you deal with work and school, it is how you use the 24 hours given to you each day. To properly manage your time, you need to understand what is worth your time.

This is where daily rituals come in. After you have asked yourself “what is it that I care about,” start coming up with ways to incorporate those activities into your daily life. But also, do not be too hard on yourself because, as I know all too well how this can lead to burnout.

Need some inspiration? Don’t know where to start? Here are some of my tips.

First off, I start every day by making my bed. I have this belief that a clear space translates to a clear mind. After that, I will usually take my daily medications, put on my contacts and brush my teeth. If I tend to my body at the beginning of the day, my energy level will increase. Then, I drink an entire glass of water.

I do this every single morning, and I do it for the same reason I take my medications and put on my contacts: being in tune with my body is one of my priorities.

I could go on and on, describing in detail how I go out on my mom’s balcony and rip through Stieg Larsson’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” series, but I will spare you. The point is, you find order and stability through a routine.

Creating daily rituals you look forward to — whether it be making your favorite smoothie for breakfast, meditating in the living room with your cat or getting coffee from your favorite shop — will help cater to your long-term goals and put you more in touch with your values.