College students are notorious for being zombies in the morning. Classes, homework, jobs, and extracurriculars can lead to a lot of late nights and a lot less sleep. We get groggy, cranky, and begin to hate mornings altogether. My freshman year, I was a self-proclaimed night owl and chronic day napper. Getting 5 hours of sleep in a night was a highlight.
Now, I am in a loving relationship with mornings, waking up before 6 a.m. every morning after getting a solid 6-8 hours of sleep. Rising early has made my life so much less stressful, so here are some tips to rekindle the flame of a morning in your life to help you feel less stressed, more energized, and healthier overall.
1. Go to bed earlier
Okay, this might sound naggy, but sleep is so important. It’s the time when our brain processes everything from the day and gets a chance to recharge. When we stay up into the wee hours of the morning, our brain doesn’t have adequate time to get ready for the next day.
One tip to help go to bed early is to actually set an alarm telling you to go to sleep. If you find yourself getting caught up in a binge watch, an alarm will remind you that it’s 11 p.m. and maybe you should turn the TV off.
2. Plan something for the morning
Love breakfast? Plan a fun breakfast to get you hyped for the morning! Always wanted to catch a sunrise? Make some plans with your roommates to watch the day begin together! Plans don’t need to be fun, but it helps. Even planning a study session for the morning helps. As long as it’s something you want/need to do, it’s so much easier to get out of bed when you have a plan for the morning.
3. Hit the gym
This is what helped me become a morning person. When classes started up last fall, I found myself struggling to find time to workout. I decided to start going to the gym in the morning before classes, and it honestly changed my life. Getting your blood flowing in the morning not only helps to wake you up but often sets a great tone for your day and keeps you in a good mood throughout even the toughest 8 a.m.
Not only has waking up earlier made me a morning person, it has also drastically improved my mood and my health. Being a morning person in college is more than possible and can make a huge difference to your four (or more) years.