If you’re like most people, you probably weren’t lucky enough to have received the magic “morning person” gene. While some people are out here ~literally~ rising and shining, the rest of us hit snooze several times and require multiple cups of coffee in order to compose a sentence. But with busy schedules and early morning classes, college students need to make the most out of the time in their days, and sometimes that requires becoming a morning person. If you usually struggle getting out of bed, don’t fear: follow these helpful tips and you’ll be well on your way to becoming an early bird.
Photo by Kinga Cichewicz.
Get enough sleep.
If you’ve ever asked for advice on becoming a morning person, this is probably the first thing you were told, and for good reason! No matter what else you do to make your a.m’s a better experience, you’ll never truly wake up ready to take on your day if you haven’t gotten in enough z’s. If you give your body enough time to rest, it will reward you by making getting out of bed ten times easier than usual.
Ban your cell phone from bed.
Photo by Gilles Lambert.
You’ve heard all of the studies that tell you your phone’s light makes it harder for you to fall asleep, but now’s the time to finally listen. Set your alarms and take your last scroll through Twitter before climbing into bed, and then leave the phone out of bed. When it’s not an arms length away, there’s less temptation for you to do a midnight stalking spree, and screw up your potential REM cycles.
Get up at the same time every day.
If you make anything a routine, your body becomes used to it, and it will be much easier to do. Your wake-up time is no exception to this rule, and in fact, it can be a key element in helping your mornings run more smoothly. If you create a stable routine by waking up at the same time each day, your body will start to naturally wake-up at the desired time on it’s own, and the sound of your alarm won’t come as such a shock.
Start moving right away.
Photo by Asdrubal luna.
If you want to become a morning person, that unfortunately means no more laying in bed and scrolling through social media in the morning. Laying in bed for extra time after your alarm allows the grogginess to set in again, and it won’t be long before you’re tempted to fall right back asleep. Try to start moving as soon as you wake up, whether it be by stretching, walking around your room, or simply sitting up. Your body will immediately shift into awake mode, and you can get on with whatever you need to do faster than usual.
Let the light in.
This isn’t just a motivational mantra, it’s something that you should literally do as soon as you wake up. Channel your inner Disney princess and dramatically open the curtains or blinds in the morning to let the natural light fill the room. No, you won’t be approached by singing woodland creatures, but you will find yourself feeling much more alert and awake, and that’s the real goal here.
Eat a good breakfast.
Photo by Jannis Brandt.
Your high school health teachers weren’t lying when they said breakfast was the most important meal of the day. When you wake up, your body has essentially been fasting for around 8 hours, so if you don’t give it any fuel, you won’t have enough energy to fully wake up and start your day. By eating a nice, healthy breakfast in the morning, you’ll feel energized, and able to power through your day.
While it may seem daunting at first, follow these simple tips to become a morning person in no time!
Cover photo courtesy of Unsplash.