College is a time when we learn to balance our own lives and do things without our parents there to nag us. While this seems like paradise at first, I think all of us can say that it’s not as easy as it seems, and waking up in time to have a good morning is only the beginning of it.
Throughout my college days, I started to realize that how I start my day will often have a play in how my day ends. Waking up late right before class and grabbing a frappe from Starbucks just wasn’t going to cut it anymore. I wanted to have more energy, more time, and more motivation throughout the day.
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Wake up
The first thing I had to learn to do was wake up on time. For me this was hard because I, like many other students, am a night owl who hates waking up early.
Something that I learned to be very helpful is leaving your phone or alarm clock at walking distance from your bed. This was something that helped me because once I got up I wasn’t going to just lay back down, I was up whether I liked it or not.
Finding the right alarm clock for you is also a huge challenge. An alarm that I have been using recently is called Sleep cycle and not only does it have an alarm for you, but it also tracks your sleep habits so you can adjust your sleep cycle to meet your daily needs!
2. Find The Sleep Schedule that fits your needs
Sleep doesn’t seem important when you’re younger but college is when it really starts to hit you that it’s necessary.
It’s time to set a bed-time, and I know what you’re thinking. “A bedtime?! I’m Grown!”
Time for a newsflash- because honey, adults need guidance too. This was something I had to figure out very early on. After being drained and tired after getting 4-5 hours of sleep, I decided to set a time for myself to sleep.
Now this time isn’t something that is necessary to go by every single night, but keeping it as a guideline is helpful to remind yourself of how much sleep you need to function correctly the next day.
If you have trouble sleeping at night, I recommend a podcast to listen to while drifting off to sleep. A section of podcasts on Spotify that I like to call “bedtime stories for adults” have been getting me to bed within minutes after turning it one. Here are three of my favorites!
3. Fuel Your Body
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
You hear this saying often but very little do we take it seriously. Fueling your body before the day begins is an important part of starting the day. It gives you the energy to get up without feeling laggy and out of touch. While it’s not always possible to cook something fresh every day, there are options that make it easier to have a nutritious breakfast that is fast and even on the go.
My favorite breakfast on the go is overnight oats. They’re easy, they’re simple and they can include a mixture of your favorite protein powder for some extra strength. The basic ingredients of overnight oats are a mixture of oats, milk, fruit, chia seeds, and protein powder and put them in the fridge.
You can create multiple jars to eat throughout the week and you’re good to go! This is a quick and easy breakfast that will have you full and out the door before 8 am.
Here is a recipe for some Delicious peanut butter oats!
https://minimalistbaker.com/peanut-butter-overnight-oats/
4. Get Up and Get Active
I know it’s early but being active in the mornings is one of the things that starts a positive flow of energy for my day.
When I wake up, the first thing I like to do is stretch. This can be a simple stretch or a stretch that involves my whole body but any stretch is better than none. MY FAVORITE Yoga youtuber is Yoga With Adriene. Her routines are easy to follow and she has levels ranging from beginners to advanced. When I have a little extra time in the mornings I like to follow her 11-minute morning yoga routine, I’ve linked it below so you can try it in your own morning routine!
Wake Up Yoga – 11 Minute Morning Yoga Practice – Yoga With Adriene
I also like to activate my mind with meditation. Guided meditation is the easiest for people who want to explore meditation, but have not dappled into it before. Meditation is known to strengthen your mind, help with concentration, and alleviate stress. I even like to light a few candles or indulge my space with essential oils to help keep me feeling zen.
An app that I found useful for beginning meditation is Headspace. Headspace has a variety of free meditation guides made for any occasion, ranging from car rides to shower time.
These are the things that work best for me and keep my mornings bright. Though the process of finding a schedule in the life of a busy student is hard, it is absolutely important. Find your wave and ride with it. Rise and GRIND!