With midterm season being just about over, the weather is getting colder, the days are getting shorter, and the work load is getting heavier. On top of it all, there’s the dreadful responsibility that we have of waking ourselves up.
For those of us who aren’t early birds, not hitting the snooze button is only part of the struggle. We also have to deal with the sluggish feeling of moving around and the groggy hassle of thinking! And then there’s the agony of communicating, which feels progressively worse throughout the day if you didn’t get enough z’s the night before.
So how do we avoid functioning in slow motion? How can we use the mornings to truly wake up, instead of going through the motions of the day as if we’re merely sleepwalking? How can we, as my lovely fellow blogger Devon would say, “keep on keeping on” throughout the day?
Here are some useful methods that I’ve found to help me wake up and stay motivated until I reconnect with my dearest pillow at the end of the day:
- GET THE HECK OUT OF BED
Don’t hit snooze! Don’t lie there and check your phone! Get up! Get out! Get moving! Channel you inner Shia and JUST DO IT!
2. Chug some H2O
I’d be a hypocrite if I said to skip the morning brew. It’s instant and addicting, not to mention how warm it makes me feel on a frosty morning.
Although it’s not healthy to consume as much caffeine as we coffee-dependent-students take, try drinking some water first (and then maybe just a little bit of our favourite stimulant). According to alifeofproductivity.com, one of the main reasons we feel sluggish in the morning is because our brain tissue operates on less fuel when we’re dehydrated. After a night’s sleep without water consumption, it’s important that you drink at least 500 mL of water to flush out toxins, fire up your metabolism, and much more!
3. Pump up the Jamz
Fun fact: ambient music promotes creativity in your thought process if played at moderate noise levels. So, if you want clear up your befuddled brain, put some buds in and feel the rhythm. If you instead fancy some funk, turn up a speaker and make your breakfast while boogying.
4. Speaking of Breakfast….
We like food. Yes we do. You know who else likes food? Your body, after it’s been deprived of food for a long period of time. Breakfast is extremely important for cognitive health and energy needs, and should be consumed within two hours of being awake.
Make sure you’ve included a variety of nutrients like hardy sources of fibre, protein, and omega-3. Also consider swapping coffee for (my personal favourite) green tea, which provides healthier quantities of caffeine than a regular cup of coffee.
5. Count!
Though I am not particularly good at math, I was once advised to play around with numbers in the morning. However dull it may seem, counting the brush strokes when brushing your teeth actually helps to get the mental gears going. If you’re scrolling through your Insta feed, add the amounts of likes of every post you see!
The same applies for brain games such as crosswords and sudoku! I did my first sudoku puzzle from last week’s paper in U of T’s The Varsity. I almost spilled my tea when I realized I had figured it out:
Make your morning routine meaningful and use it as the foundation to start off your day! If you’re feeling like your mornings are too rushed, try sorting out little things the night before, such as making your lunch for the next day or planning your outfit in advance using my other wonderful fellow blogger Azalfa’s tips on fall fashion trends!
If you have any other tips on how to wake the heck up in the morning, please don’t hesitate to comment below!
‘Till next week, rock and roll my friends!
Sincerely,
Shelby.
Living Onwards, Looking Up 
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