8:30, my alarm wakes me. 8:40, it wakes me again, and by 8:50 I am throwing on yoga pants and my oversized sweatshirt because I am going to be late for calculus. I didn’t have much homework last night, but somehow I ended up watching 30 Rock until 2:30 – why do I do this to myself? By the time my architecture class rolls around at 12:10, I am struggling to stay awake. Mind you, my late night was not an isolated event. This is a habit that I have found myself engaging in all semester. I work an office job every day for 3-4 hours, and I find myself getting lazier and grumpier each day, even though I know that I am lucky to have a job that gives me so many hours, allows me to do homework, and pays well. In addition to underperforming at my job, I’ve also found myself losing track of my once-sparkling workout schedule. Once a regular attendee, I’ve barely made it to Hardcore at the Rec twice this semester. All these negative repercussions made me decide to research the art of finding a balance between life, leisure, and sleep. Here are a few helpful tips I’ve learned:
1) Use your bed for its main purpose, and nothing else.
If you’re like me, you feel most comfortable watching TV, reading, doing homework, and Pinteresting in bed. The issue with this is that the bed then loses its function as a place of quiet and rest, and you forget that that is what you are supposed to be doing when you are there. I know that I certainly have turned my bed into a multimedia lounge space, which means that I never stop working/playing when I am there. Try to make yourself do homework and Pinterest elsewhere (like your desk or the library), and reserve your time in bed solely for when you are in your PJs ready to sleep.
2) Eat small meals throughout the day.
You know after lunch, when you’re sitting in a huge lecture hall, and although you’re actually somewhat interested in what the professor is saying, you find yourself dozing off? Prevent this by eating smaller meals more frequently, which gives you more constant bursts of energy, rather than overloading your system, which lulls you into dreamland.
3) SLEEP
What? I know. Science has proven that sleeping actually helps with tiredness. Establish a bedtime for yourself, and stick to it. You can still watch TV or hang out with friends, just fit it in before midnight. The biggest trick to this step is planning ahead and sticking to a schedule. You can do it!