This year I decided to try waking up earlier.
I’ve always been more productive in the earlier hours of the day, but despite knowing this I rarely woke
up early unless an early morning commitment like a lab or a shift at work forced me to. Last year I was
staying up till 2 or 3 am most nights, but I could never concentrate long enough on anything to be
productive at that time- so I’d spend hours scrolling through Twitter or watching Netflix. When I
eventually fell asleep, I would have to be awake by 7am most days, running on 5 hours of sleep at best.
The next morning would be a scramble to make it to classes on time, running on a cup of coffee and not
much else until lunch time. I wasn’t using my time as wisely as I could have and knew I wanted to change
my sleep schedule as soon as I could.
When my trip back to Kenya this past Christmas came to an end, I came back to Edmonton with my sleep
schedule completely out of whack- but it actually worked out amazingly. I was waking up by 4 or 5 am in
the mornings and going to bed (voluntarily!) by 9 pm. I decided to use this to my advantage and finally
implement the changes in my sleep schedule that I so desperately needed. Now that the jet lag has worn
off, I try to wake up by 6am and be in bed by 10. This has helped me in so many ways:
1) I have more time to reflect and be mindful.
This is probably the most important benefit I’ve noticed. Because its so quiet in the mornings, I can
check in with myself without any distractions from the outside world. I can pray, journal and meditate
without having to constantly check that I’m not running out of time, so I’m far more present throughout
these activities. Throughout the day, as a result, I tend to be in a more positive and appreciative state of
mind.
2) I have time to go to the gym (and its almost always empty!).
One thing I wanted to improve at the beginning this year was my fitness- I was tired of feeling winded
after climbing the 2 flights of stairs it takes to get to my apartment, and so decided to start going to the
gym. On great thing about going early in the morning is that there’s never anyone else there- so you
don’t have to wait around for machines to free up and can go through your workout at the pace you
intended to.
Photo by Meghan Holmes on Unsplash
3) I’m more productive.
I tend to focus better in the early hours of the day, so waking up early means that I can be more
productive and tackle any tasks I have laid out that day. It also means that I’m done with my work by the
evening and can spend that time relaxing or catching up with my friends and family, without feeling
guilty over any unfinished work.
4) I feel more organized.
Because I have time to reflect on my day before it begins, I can plan out my most important tasks and
have a better sense of what to focus on throughout the day- because of this I’m far less likely to miss
deadlines on applications and assignments
5) It’s saving me money
It turns out buying a cup (or 3) of coffee everyday is not the best move to make if you’re on a student
budget! These days I have time to make and pack my own in the morning, and have some breakfast
alongside it, removing the need to buy food on campus at all.
Photo by Ryan Pouncy on Unsplash
If completely changing your sleeping patterns seems daunting (it is), even waking up an hour earlier than
you usually do can lead to some of these benefits- try it out for a week to see if it’s a change that would
benefit you.