Waking up early is hard, but waking up early in the winter is undoubtedly worse than any other season. It’s dark, it’s cold and your bed is just so comfy.
This year I set a resolution to wake up early every day in 2023. Now, I would never have set this resolution if I did not have to.
I love my sleep. However, I have an 8 a.m. class Monday, Wednesday, Friday and a 9 a.m. class Tuesday, Thursday.
It is torture.
Every night I set my alarm for 6:30 a.m.
Then, I set about six more at various time increments to make sure I am actually awake.
It has been almost a month of waking up early and here are some positive changes I have noticed in my new lifestyle as well as tips to stay consistent.
I have been more productive during the day after waking up early. It is a slow start most mornings for me, but once I am out and moving, I am more productive in my schoolwork.
I find that I have more time in the evenings to participate in extracurriculars or hang out with my friends since I complete most of my work in the morning or earlier in the day.
Since I have been more productive in the mornings, I find that my stress levels are significantly lower this compared to last.
I complete all my work in advance and find myself with nothing to do later in the day. It is amazing.
Coffee is the only reason I get up in the morning. I drag myself out of bed and start a fresh pot of coffee so that it is ready to drink by the time I am done getting ready.
Some mornings I am even greeted by an already brewed pot of coffee by my lovely roommate, who also has to get up early every morning.
Something that helps me get up in the morning is preparing the night before. Turns out my mom was right all those years when she would make me get my school stuff together the night before.
It is SO much easier to get out the door when everything is already ready. I fill up my water bottle, pack my backpack and plug my computer in the night before so that everything is ready to go in the morning.
That leaves me extra time to get ready or eat breakfast.
Finding the balance between not feeling like I am missing out when I go to bed early at night and getting enough sleep was tough.
I would hear my roommates in the living room and kitchen chatting and laughing while I was forcing myself to go to bed so that I would not miss class the next day.
It was terrible, but now that I am more used to my class schedule it has become easier to spend time with them and also get enough sleep.
The waking up early journey is a process. There are so many positive benefits that I am already seeing and many more that I have yet to find.
When I first started this process, I thought it was going to be the worst experience ever. I hated waking up early. I was always more of a night owl and enjoyed sleeping the morning away.
However, so far I am loving the difference these early mornings are making in my life and I hope to keep my resolution of waking up early for all of 2023.