Rise n’ Shine! Tips and Tricks For an Easier Early Morning

The circadian rhythm is a weird thing. Some have the ability to wake up just as the birds begin to sing, forfeiting sweet sleep only to jog along with the sunrise. Then there’s us…those whose morning exercise consists of knocking the alarm clock off the bedside table and hoping we make it to class on time. If you belong to this group, here are 4 quick tips to make your mornings go smoother:

Prepare the night before

The trick is in getting everything prepared while you’re still awake and able to function.

Clothes: get your clothes ready. This might seem overly dramatic, but the last thing you wanna do is debate on what to wear while you’re still half asleep. Even if you’re not much for fashion, at the very least you’ll be 100% certain that you’ve got 2 of the same pair of socks.

Bags: pack your papers, pens, reading materials an anything you need. This way you won’t be looking for stuff in hurry and won’t accidentally forget that super important presentation (and the reason you stayed up late).

Prep your breakfast

Going to an early lecture with an empty stomach is not great. Having your stomach growl in the middle of that lecture is even worse.  And having to cook yourself something before leaving your house falls in between.

The next best thing is buying breakfast on the go, but doing that every day is going to hit your wallet – hard. So instead, why not save you the stress and do it all the night before? Having it all done and ready will not only make your morning easier, but it’ll give you a few more minutes of precious sleep.  Most of these recipes don’t take longer than 10 minutes to prep, and are super easy to make (even if you don’t like cooking).

Pro tip: If you pack them up nicely, you can eat them on-the-go, giving you even more time to sleep!

Wake up earlier

Yes, yes, it sounds counterproductive to the point, but hear us out: if you set your alarm five or ten minutes earlier, you’ll have more time to
-linger in bed and wake up at your own pace
or
-get yourself ready without stress
or
-enjoy your cup of coffee or tea at your own leisure

Waking up earlier is also a great way to get the most out of your day. The good news is that you don’t have to do it all at once – some say that by setting up your alarm one minute earlier every night, it’ll only take you one month to be able to wake up 15 minutes earlier without a problem!

GO TO SLEEP..

.. with a relaxed mind. If you have an early morning lesson the next day, you probably want to go to bed at a reasonable (ish) time. Unwinding after a stressful day isn’t limited to taking a hot shower (though that helps).

Other methods include: dipping your face in cold water for 30 seconds (to calm your nervous system down), using the 4-7-8 method (breath in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7, and release through your mouth for 8. Repeat 3-4 times), or even scenting your room with lavender.

If this all sounds too superfluous, then just follow whichever method most relaxes you – as long as you can assure or try to get at least 7 hours of sleep!

Inspiring Interns is a recruitment agency specialising in all the internships and graduate jobs London has to offer. Xiomara Meyer is a drama and creative writing graduate with an interest in psychology and the slightly bizarre. Samples of her prose can be found here