There is hope for you, night owl. While your friends are gathering for a sunrise breakfast, you’re struggling to drag yourself from your warm cocoon of flannel sheets. Waking up and feeling alert can be difficult, especially in the winter. Luckily we have a few useful techniques to make the morning a little easier.
- Shorten your morning routine by having your clothes laid out the night before. Choosing your outfit ahead of time will cut down on the minutes of indecision standing in front of your closet with a blank look on your face.
- Shower the night before. If you have long hair, you can keep it from drying in ninety-degree angles by braiding it before you go to bed. This will cut down on the time you spend on your morning routine, and give you more time to do other things that energize you.
- On the flip side, if you’re groggy in the morning and just can’t seem to keep your eyes open, taking a cold shower could be just the trick to wake up.
- Set aside time to exercise. Fitting in time to run, take a brisk walk, or practice calisthenics does wonders to your body in the mornings. Bodies that exercise regularly release more endorphins, dopamine (pleasure) and serotonin (sleep and happiness), according to a University of Georgia study. As Elle Woods wisely once said, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands.”
- Eat breakfast foods that give you energy like oats, kale, blueberries, quinoa and (especially!) eggs. Make sure you’re full when you lock your front door in the morning and head to class. Ensuring you’ve had a filling and healthy breakfast will keep your stomach happy long into that two-hour morning class. You’ll be smiling while your classmates are wilting with the mid-class hunger slump.
- Treat your bedtime religiously. Binge eating before you fall asleep, drinking heavily, or taking narcotics could heavily affect how awake you feel the next morning. Avoid unhealthy habits before bed, and practice techniques to calm down instead, such as reading, deep breathing, meditating or praying.
Just because you like staying up late doesn’t mean you can’t become a morning person. Take a look at your before-and-after bed habits, and change them accordingly to better become the cheerful, smiling person your mom always wanted you to be.
