If you have read any book, article or listened to any successful Girl Boss or business woman, they all start their day earlier than they may need to. Many decide to work out in the morning, read devotionals, write in a journal, plan out their day or just take the extra time to have a mental rest before getting into their work and dealing with other people.
I am definitely not a morning person, and I try to avoid early morning classes whenever possible. I would read these articles and would see the importance of waking up early, but I lacked the willpower to make myself wake up earlier than necessary. My first class on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays is at 9:05AM so I don’t get up until 7:30AM and just do the bare minimum to get ready for the day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I rarely wake up before 9AM because I don’t have any classes. To top it off, when I would go home to visit my family, I wouldn’t come back to Athens until Monday morning right before my classes. On those days, I’d wake up at 6:30AM so I could make it back in time for class.
On the weekends, there was no guarantee I’d wake up before noon. Every day I was running out of energy by 3PM and felt super unproductive. My body wasn’t on a regular schedule, and even when I didn’t have classes I wasn’t using my time effectively. I decided to make a change and stick to it. After 2 weeks, my body is ready to be up by 6:30AM and I have the energy to stay up all day until around 10PM when I would go to bed. I make goals every night before bed, and I plan out exactly how to achieve those goals the next day. I have more free time and I feel more productive at the same time. Here are some ways you can implement this into your routine as a college student and how it can dramatically change your mood.
- Extra Time to Eat a Good Breakfast
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It may be just me, but I know I wasn’t eating breakfast every day even though I know I should be. Most college students aren’t eating on a regular schedule and no parent is forcing you to eat three meals a day. Whether you have a meal plan or not, waking up an extra hour early gives you time to get something to eat or make something quick to eat. The extra time also means you don’t have to rush through your meal. If you feel like you are running out of energy during your classes, breakfast may be the solution.
- Start Your Day with a Workout
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Most if not all colleges have a fitness center that is included in your fees, so if you aren’t using the gym, the money is being wasted. Many people say they can’t work out because they don’t “have the time”, but we all know that we make time for the things we want in life. If you don’t have time in your normal schedule then waking up early and going to the gym can solve that problem. You will be starting the day early and already feel productive because you have the rest of the day to do whatever you have planned.
- Review Lecture Notes Before Class
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I think we all can admit that sitting in a lecture feels differently when you understand what the professor is talking about. Most students tell themselves, “I’ll go back and review my notes after class,” but something always comes up and we end up feeling stressed right before the test. Most professors upload their lecture notes or at least the outlines of the lecture before class because they expect you to have an idea of the concepts before class. This extra time before class can be used for breakfast and while you eat you can have the class notes up and you can just skim them before class. In class, you will be more attentive because you will know what your professor is talking about and your mind will be less likely to wander off in class. This limits the amount of cramming you will have to do before an exam which will limit the stress you will have later.
- You Will Have a Better Sleep Schedule
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Waking up earlier means you will be ready to turn in earlier at night. You won’t want to stay up until midnight and you won’t need to if you are productive during the day. You can get your full 8 hours of sleep and won’t feel like you are losing energy during the day because your body will be on a regular schedule. Of course, there will be nights where you will stay out later or mornings when you don’t want to wake up early. These instances are fine as long as you don’t let it become a habit and on the other days, you still wake up early and go to bed on time. If there are days when you don’t have a class or something scheduled you can take a quick nap (30 mins or less) to keep you energized.
- Overall Productivity Can Increase
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Since extra time can mean extra time for procrastinating, before going to sleep get in the habit of making a to-do list or even making a schedule planning out exactly what you need to do the next day. You can schedule in what time you want to work out, eat breakfast, even what time you have to take a nap, which will keep you focused all day and also allow you to see everything you expected to accomplish and compare it to what you accomplished. The schedule doesn’t have to be extremely elaborate. You can easily make it in the notes app on your phone so you can easily refer to it when necessary.
Being productive is completely up to you and whether you do something or not is based on your willpower. The extra time is made to help you, but you are in charge of how you use the time and plans. Waking up early has helped me and other women be more productive throughout the day and I highly suggest that you try the new schedule and see all that you can accomplish!