Waking up in the morning is difficult enough sometimes but being a morning person just seems impossible in college. Whether you have 8:30 AMs that you’re struggling to focus at or you just want to start having more productive days, these five tips will help you wake up on the right side of bed every day.
1. Set one alarm and stick to it. Setting one alarm and forcing yourself to at least sit up in bed once it goes off may seem challenging for those who love setting twenty alarms in five-minute intervals. However, it’ll probably be way easier to wake up if you just do it when you first intended to. So sit up in bed once you hear those cheerful notes in the AM and get in a little bit of stretching and social media checking while your still wrapped in your blankets.
2. Exercise when you wake up. It probably sounds ridiculous to set your alarm even earlier just to squeeze in a workout that you’ll only be dreading the night before, but getting your body moving before your brain even realizes what’s happening can actually be really helpful. Get your workout clothes ready the night before so you can get dressed even in your groggy state, and just go for it! Even if you only spend a half hour exercising, this is a great way to get your day started.
3. Wake up at the same time every day. Getting your body into a routine is a key step in being a morning person. It’s a daunting task for us collegiates who have 8:30 classes one morning, and then get to sleep in until noon other days, but once you start doing it then your body will start waking up naturally—and happily—each morning.
4. Create a routine. Whether you’d like to make one for nighttime or the mornings, creating a routine will make it much easier. You’ll be more likely to actually get up on that first alarm ring if you know that you have a routine to get to. This can consist of anything from brushing your teeth and taking your vitamins, to reading the newspaper (or twitter) and having a cup of coffee. Eventually, you’ll start looking forward to your early morning or evening routine.
5. Put the electronics away at night. This is one that most of us collegiates are probably guilty of, but putting the electronics away thirty minutes before bed is essential. Not only can staring at a phone or computer screen in the dark seriously mess with your eyes and health, but it can also trick your brain into thinking you’re not ready to go to bed anytime soon. Our bodies get more tired when we’re in the dark, so turn off the television and cell phone a bit before you’re ready for bed and you’re guaranteed to have a better nights sleep!
These tips are sure to make you enjoy your nights and mornings more, even if you think you’ll never be a morning person. What are some of your tricks for starting your day off right?
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