We’ve all either personally been victimized by January weather, or (at the very least) seen the parade of weather-related Snapchats to know that winter is here. So that means that sweaters are comfier, coffee is tastier, but also that mornings are harder.
It’s not surprise that when it’s a brisk 30 degrees outside, getting out of your nice, warm bed isn’t always the easiest thing to do. But when you have an attendance- based 8:30 a.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday, it’s a necessary evil. So here are a few tips to make that minute of pure terror a little less miserable.
1. Take the time to plan out your day.
When it’s cold I like to set my alarm clock about 10 minutes earlier than when I actually need to get up, so I have about 10 minutes to adjust to the day, and plan out what I need to do. Giving yourself an extra 10 minutes to stretch, open your eyes and become conscious really makes the cold more manageable.
2. Treat yo'self!
On those difficult days, think of a small thing that you enjoy and that will motivate you to get up. Positive emotions are stronger motivators than negative ones, so instead of saying, “I need to get up or I’ll fail chemistry,” try saying, “I need to get up so I can have that nice warm mug of new French coffee.” It really does the wonders to your morning motivation. Whether it’s a nice cup of coffee, a set of sun salutations, or an extra five minutes to play with a pet; it’s the little things in life that matter.
3. Sleep in layers.
It’s tough to go from zero to 100 real fast, so sleeping in layers or having multiple blankets can ease the morning transition. By peeling off layers or blankets you’ll gradually get used to the cold rather than a crisp slap in the face.
4. Rise and sunshine.
It might not be the most pleasant thing to do, but opening your blinds triggers your brain that it’s daytime and time to wake up. So even if you’re just lying in bed for a few minutes, opening the shades will make it eventually easier to get up.
5. Move your alarm clock.
For those of us of who truly know the morning struggle, this tip will seem familiar. We all know and hate our alarms (they will ruin your favorite song for life,) so moving it to a place in your room where you need to walk to turn it off will help you get up in the morning without groggily hitting snooze a bazillion times. Necessity is the mother of invention after all.
6. Wake up, get up.
If you do by chance open your eyes naturally before your alarm, your body’s trying to tell you something -- so listen! Sleep inertia (the feeling of grogginess after waking up) is real, so if you do get up earlier than you planned 8-or-so hours ago, it’s naturally time to start your day. Also, on the topic of sleep inertia…
7. Don't you dare hit that snooze button.
Snooze is the best and worst thing to ever happen to us. Like I said earlier, beware of sleep inertia! A very easy way to fall victim to this haze is (you guessed it) hitting snooze! In reality, those extra 10 minutes don’t do very much for you in the long-run anyway, and it actually ends up hurting you!. Going back to bed for such a short amount of time interrupts your natural sleep cycle and makes it harder to eventually get up. So if you aren’t 100 percent ready to greet the day, just go back and check out tip #1, but don't go back to bed!
