1. Don’t.
If you want to sleep in, you’ve earned it! Just think: How many late nights have you spent half-conscious behind an essay on your screen, praying the light outside isn’t the sunrise? How many late nights have you balanced a coffee in each jittering hand and an overpriced textbook in your lap, seeing equations on the backs of your eyelids with each blink? How many times have you cursed your lackluster time management because your full night’s sleep was looking more and more like a nap? For those of you fortunate enough to put your hectic schedules on pause, stay in bed! Don’t try to be someone you’re not. If you enjoy snoozing past noon, go for it. If sleeping in is your way to relax, well, you deserve it.
In all seriousness, for you night owls actually interested in waking up feeling refreshed, read the following advice.
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2. You snooze (button) you lose.
As difficult as it seems, ban yourself from hitting the snooze button. You can tell yourself you need another 5 minutes of sleep, but future-you will be equally miserable. Instead of torturing yourself with alarms at 7:00, 7:15, 7:20, and 7:21, set one time to wake up and stick to it. Keep your alarm clock on the other side of the room if that’s what it takes to get you out of bed. Whatever the case, make sure once you hear a ring, you’re up.
3. There are two types of people: those who have enough time for breakfast and liars.
Take it from me, a girl who never grew up eating breakfast; food in the morning will give you the boost of energy you need. Speaking generally, most of us love food. So, why not incentivize waking up early with your favorite breakfast? Ideally, try something on the healthier side to help start the day. Your favorite oatmeal or a bowl of fruit make great options. One favorite tip of mine: don’t limit yourself to breakfast food! Whoever coined the term “breakfast food” didn’t know what they were talking about, because a hearty salad tastes just as good in the morning as it does at night. If you find your stomach to be very weak in the mornings, try gradually introducing breakfast to your diet. Start with a small piece of fruit, eventually working your way up to a wholesome meal.
4. Get active.
Moving your body in the morning will send a rush of endorphins, loosen up tight muscles, and allow for better blood circulation throughout the day. If you usually work out at night, try relocating your exercise time slot to the early hours of the day. If you don’t usually work out, try some light morning exercises to activate your body and brain. I’ve found that even 5-10 minutes of stretching goes a long way, making me feel alive, alert, and mindful.
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5. Save the coffee for a rainy day.
If you think you need caffeine to fuel your mornings, think again. Try passing up the coffee and replacing it with a tall glass of your old friend H2O. Coffee will give you a blast of energy for a few hours before you begin to crash and find yourself looking for more. Water, on the other hand, will keep you feeling revitalized from morning to night. Try skipping the coffee for just a few days, and I guarantee you will start seeing results once you get over the slump of your caffeine cravings. Instead, save the coffee runs for exceptionally long days or as a treat to yourself, rather than a necessity.
