If you’re anything like me, waking up any time before 10 A.M. feels like a punishment. Still, we all know that waking up early is part of life sometimes. I’ve spent the last three years of college dodging early morning classes, however this year, I could not get out of it. One of my required classes is only available at 8 A.M. Go figure. Initially, I really struggled to wake up for it. Not only that, but when I woke up I was really cranky. After the first week of barely making it to class, I decided that I’ll never be a morning person. I did, however, find a lot of things that make waking up so early a lot less painful. Hopefully this list will help out anyone who feels the same about early mornings.
1. Put your phone somewhere far away from your bed. This will force you to get up, and not hit snooze every five minutes. When I first did this, I was annoyed with myself, but it really helps in forcing you to get up.
2. Do something positive when you wake up. This could mean listening to your favorite songs, having a cup of coffee, or reading a small part of your favorite book. This really helped me to feel more motivated. I think, “if I wake up now, then I can have a cup of coffee!” Coffee for the win.
3. Relax before bed. I do not mean scroll through all social media sources until you can no longer keep your eyes open (like me). I mean do things that will actually relax yourself such as reading while drinking sleepytime tea. Repetition here is key. If you do this each night before bed your body will get used to it and realize it’s bedtime.
4. Go to sleep earlier. Duh. Still, this is the hardest one for me. I pride myself on being a night owl, so not getting my alone time at night is the worst. I’ve found that waking up early makes you more tired by the end of the day, so when I deprive myself of sleeping earlier, it makes me very cranky the next day. I had to this one in baby steps. I used to go to bed no earlier than 2 A.M. and I have it down to 12 A.M. Progress!
5. Eat breakfast. This is really effective! I make sure I always eat something small before my class (oatmeal, yogurt, or cereal) because it makes me feel much more awake and focused! Check out our dorm breakfast article for some easy and cheap breakfast ideas that don’t involve leaving your room.
6. Plan ahead. Even if you decide not to set out outfits each night, I tend to picture what I might wear for the next day in my head the night before. It usually helps the morning go smoother.
7. Nap if you have to. It’s better to nap in the day than to ruin your nightly sleep schedule. Just be careful not to nap for hours on end (also like me). Try a quick 20-30 minute nap. You should wake up feeling refreshed and it shouldn’t hurt your sleep schedule to much.
8. Finally, seize the day! When you wake up, think of everything that is going to be awesome that day. Think of all the blessings you have, rather than complaining about how tired you feel. Trick yourself into being happy, and it won’t be so bad after all!