This year, I (for some inexplicable reason) decided to enroll in a 9 AM class every day from Monday until Thursday. So, what do I do in order to help myself settle into the laborious process of early rising? Why, I wake up even earlier than necessary, of course! You may wonder why I put myself through this. You are correct– the first few days were hellish. However, I soon began to settle into an early morning routine that has surprisingly improved my mood and my productivity over the past few weeks. Here are three things I’ve learned from my new early routine followed by four tips for enjoying life during the ungodly hours of 7-9 AM!
*** Note: These are only my personal experiences and the tips that work for me! Stick to what makes you happy and healthy.
The dining hall doesn’t run out of coffee at 8 AM.
Last year, in my era of sleeping in, I was often faced with the earth-shattering problem of slumping down to the dining hall, desperate for caffeine, to find that all three coffee pots were empty. What was I to do? How was I to function? Thankfully, now that I get to the dining hall when it opens, I always have access to the freshest, most perfect pot of coffee. And that’s pretty much all I need.
There’s more time to relax before having to move all day.
When you wake up at least an hour before class starts, you have all the time in the world to fulfill whatever morning goals you may set for yourself. For me, these highly productive morning goals entail watching as many YouTube videos as possible while leisurely sippin a cup of coffee in my bathrobe. No more stressful races to class ten minutes after rolling out of bed!
You might feel calmer!
As someone who sometimes experiences anxiety in the mornings, I’ve learned that getting a jump start on my day helps curb some of these negative feelings that can materialize when I’m lolling around in bed for too long. When I force myself to get up, wash my face, and have some relaxation time, I find I feel better about my day ahead than I do when I sleep in or wait until the last minute to get up.
Tips for surviving early mornings:
1. Put your outfit together the night before. Seriously. When I leave it to the morning of, I find that I suddenly despise every single article of clothing in my closet and then impulsively cut a pair of jeans into shorts and end up despising them too. So please. Do it the night before.
2. Time yourself and see how long it takes to walk from your room to your destination, and set a fixed time that you’ll leave for class every day without fail. If you know you really need to leave Old Campus at 8:43 to make it up Science Hill by 9:00 sharp, consider leaving five minutes earlier than that to allow yourself to enjoy a nice morning stroll.
3. Cultivate a morning ritual you’ll look forward to. I get it– the jarring noise of your alarm clock will never be perceived as a wonderful thing, but the things you can do after the initial wake-up call can become the best part of your day. Watch some YouTube, listen to music, drink your coffee or tea (and always water), look outside and watch the sun illuminating the red brick courtyard with an unearthly morning glow. The early hours are peaceful and they are yours to enjoy.
4. Get cozy! I am always cold when I wake up. Even when it’s 90 degrees and humid in my stuffy little dorm room, I am cold at 7 AM. I’ve learned that keeping a fluffy robe right by my bedside allows me to feel like I’m taking my warm blankets with me as I unwillingly rise from my bed. Because it’s 7 AM and it’s likely that your floor isn’t awake yet, don’t worry about people seeing you in your comfiest clothes. Go for it. Live your best, softest, most comfortable life.
Waking up early has changed my life for the better this semester. However, if you stay up until 3 AM the night before, waking up at 7 simply isn’t healthy. If going to bed and waking up early just doesn’t work for you, don’t despair– you don’t need to completely alter your lifestyle to enjoy the benefits of rising earlier than usual! If your first class is at 1:00 PM, just make sure to give yourself a morning before it starts and you, too, can benefit from a couple extra hours of you-time before the day gets going.