When Drake said, “I only love my bed…,” yeah, I really felt that.
It seems like the further into second semester we get, the more absolutely exhausted I become. When I ask my friends how they are, most of their responses are, “Tired lol.” Except there’s nothing “lol” about it, and we all know that deep down. It’s tiring being so tired, and it’s stressful, too! I know I should be studying but I could also really go for a nap at any time of day and in virtually any place.
But! Fear not! I’ve nailed down a system that keeps me out of bed and on that “sh*t-it’s-almost-finals” grind, and I’ve detailed it below, just for you.
Happy studying!
- Make your bed.
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It takes less than five minutes, and it makes it look a lot less appealing in the middle of the day. You don’t really want to mess up a neatly made bed, do you? It serves as a reminder that you started the day with the intention of productivity and makes it far easier to stick with that mindset each time you see it as the day goes on.
- Stay out of your room.
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I don’t know about you, but my room, with my snuggly blankets and soft bed and Netflix-bearing television, can definitely tempt me out of doing what I should be doing. I try to spend all of my day outside of my room, whether that means studying in a coffee shop for an hour between classes or sitting out at the clocktower to get some more work done in the afternoons. If I don’t go back to my room until I’m either out of work or completely out of energy, I’m more likely to be productive than sleep.
- Do your hair and makeup.
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There’s nothing worse than getting all dolled up for the day just to promptly mess up your look with a nap. Wanting to keep that hair perfect and that face beat means wanting to avoid your bed at all costs. It sounds small and silly, but it can actually be great motivation! Plus, when you look good, you tend to feel good, too.
- CAFFEINATE.
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Coffee, coffee, coffee. It really works, people. Everyone gets their fix in different ways, but be sure to use caution and moderation when drinking anything caffeinated (especially energy drinks!)
- Regulate your schedule.
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Maybe the reason that you’re so tired is that you’re staying up until 3 a.m., getting up before 8 a.m., and napping for two hour increments throughout the day, which leaves all of your homework to be done at nighttime. So you stay up late to do the homework that you could’ve done when you were napping, but you felt that you had to nap to make up for staying up so late studying the night before. See the problem?
Take a day or two to regulate. Don’t nap, no matter how tired you are, and instead, do all of your work throughout the day so you can go to bed at a reasonable hour and get at least seven hours of sleep. Regulating your sleep will make you much more productive when you’re awake and will keep you from absolutely exhausting yourself from a weird and unpredictable schedule.
All of this being said, if you’re really tired, that’s probably a sign that you need some rest. I know it’s hard to strike a balance between self-care and educational neglect, but if you genuinely think that you have time and your quality of work will be better if you are rested, take that nap, girl! You are more important than your grades. Always.