Being a morning person has never been my cup of tea. I have always preferred the night owl life where I can bask in the silence of the moonlight. While most people slumber away underneath the stars, my creative juices begin to flow, cascading into a waterfall of ideas. There is always a sense of freedom that occurs for me while working after dusk. Although there may be a looming deadline in a few hours, the intensifying pressure that was once present in the morning is now obliterated to a speck of dust. The night is an escape from the logical hustle of the morning. If anything, I feel more alive and awake then, than I have ever been throughout my day.
However, as a college student who has a multitude of responsibilities, the night owl lifestyle has not been the most effective method to accomplish the myriad of tasks that come my way. It felt like a race against time every single day, accompanied by an occasional close save. There were times where I felt that my workload was dominating every aspect of my life. So, I decided it was time to take back control and switch things up for the better.
Before I became an early bird, normally I would wake up before sunrise and pray Fajr, only to head back to bed for a 2 hour nap afterwards until I rose again for my virtual 9 a.m. organic chemistry class. Getting an extra 2 hours of sleep initially sounds pretty great. After all, we need an adequate amount of sleep to keep our mind and body healthy. But, the realization that I could use these two hours productively dawned on me. Why head back to sleep when I am already awake and can conquer my day? It was like I was accepting defeat when victory was right around the corner.
Becoming an early riser was definitely beyond my comfort zone. For the first few days, I was exhausted and it took me approximately an hour to feel energized. During that hour though, I ate breakfast, listened to music, and went on a short walk. This really helped me feel focused when it was time to sit down at my desk and get ready to work. It even helped me pay better attention in all my classes. Waking up early also made me feel as if I had more hours in a day, which helped me feel less stressed because I knew I would be able to manage. The lethargy that once plagued me was diminishing and I finally felt that I had my life under control.