I’ve always been an early bird, but my senior year of high school and first semester of college took that side of myself away from me for awhile. Simply put: the older you get, the more cozy your bed is.
But during my second semester of college, a few things changed that altered my morning alarm clock: I no longer had an 8am class but still woke up like I did, I became planner-obsessed, and I remembered why the morning is my favorite time of day.
Ever since I began waking up early on purpose, the way I start my day has completely changed. Here is my list of 11 reasons why I love to get up to that 6:00am alarm (even if it’s not always an instant affection):
1. Enjoying the morning. The time before the sun is super bright and the world is full of noise is a special time. There are less people around and more opportunities to look at nice sunrise clouds and to think nice thoughts.
2. Less traffic. If you’re a commuter like me, getting to school before the traffic rush is everything, as well as scoring your favorite parking spot.
3. You have time to eat breakfast. It is the most important (and yummiest) meal of the day.
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4. You feel more awake. I’m not sure why that is, but I promise it’s tested and true.
5. You have time to finish that homework assignment that you wanted to burn last night. Sometimes you need a fresh start and perspective with difficult school work. The morning is a great time for that.
6. There are a lot of tables open at Starbucks. At my school, this is a treasure.
7. You have time to update your planner. If you live by your planner, starting the day by going through it, checking things off your list and adding to your calendar is always a good time.
8. It’s also the perfect time to check your email. And Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, etc. You know the drill.
9. Did I mention the campus looks beautiful? That early morning fog really brings out the classrooms.
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10. If you have things that you should do, but have been putting off, this is the time to do them. Like fill out a volunteer application or catch up on your Psychology reading. For some reason, it’s less painful at 7:00am than 2:00am.
11. It’s just a lovely time. Having a time between waking up and immediately going to class is energizing, relaxing, and sets you on track for the entire day.
Of course, if you want to sleep, sleep. And hit the snooze button a few times for me.