Welcome back ladies! As summer fades away and classes start back, most of us have to trade our late nights, for early mornings. Sometimes it feels like waking up for those 8am and 9am classes are next to impossible. Since just getting out of bed can be one of the hardest things we do all day, here are some tips that might make it just a little bit more bearable.
Plan for breakfast: Many of us make the mistake of underestimating the power of a good breakfast. We rush around so much in the morning that one of the last things on our mind is a piece of toast. However, studies have shown that students that eat breakfast perform better, and just all around feel better. Breakfast can help your body wake up, and it’s been proven to add years to your life, and who doesn’t want that? This doesn’t mean you need a 3 course breakfast every morning; a simple granola bar on your way out the door would work.
Avoid the snooze button: As tempting as it is to smack the snooze button on your phone and sleep for 9 more minutes, DON’T DO IT. I am horrible at reminding myself of this when that horrible alarm goes off at 7:30am, but it really is for the best. As good as those 9 extra minutes may feel, it’s not enough time for your body to actually gain anything from it at all; it actually makes you groggier. It’s easier on your body to just to go ahead and get up when your alarm initially goes off instead of teasing it by shutting your eyes again. The fact is that you have to get up anyways so just get it over with. Plus, if you’re anything like me, if you hit the snooze button once, that means you will hit it again. By the time you finally roll out of bed, three snooze buttons later, you’ve already made yourself late so now you have to rush, and rushing isn’t a good way to start your morning.
Keep hydrated: It’s important to keep yourself hydrated for many reasons, one of which is that dehydration makes you tired. It’s recommended that you drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. You might not even know you’re dehydrated, but even a mild case can drain your energy. Aside from helping with your energy level, hydration is beneficial to us in so many other ways, too, so drink up!
Stretch: Stretching in the morning is one of my favorite things to do. It feels great to stretch out all your muscles after a good night’s sleep. Not only that, but it helps get your blood moving and wakes up your body. Some people wake up in enough time to get a run in, or hit the gym which is great, but if you’re like me then you don’t have that much motivation in the morning. So, settling for a quick little stretching session to get your body going will be enough to do wonders.
Think ahead: Rushing around on the verge of being late is enough to stress out anyone and start your day off all wrong. Avoid that stress by planning ahead the night before. Girls, we all know that picking out our outfits can be the most challenging and time consuming thing we do all day. Go ahead and pick out your outfit the night before, that way you don’t have to worry about it in the morning. Also, gather all your books, homework, and whatever else you need for the next day and have it ready to grab and go as well. Having all these things already organized and ready the night before will help your morning go so much smoother. Without the rushing you won’t feel so exhausted before you even leave your room.
I hope these tips help you to having a happier and healthier morning, every morning. Good luck this semester!