Rushing to brush my teeth, barely having enough time to do my hair, my legs burning as I half speed-walk and half jog to class…these were how my typical mornings went in the beginning of the semester. One day, as I sat in my Nutrition class, chest heaving from attempting to make it to class on time (which failed), I realized this rushed and exhausting lifestyle just wasn’t for me. I needed to wake up earlier. The next day I woke up for my 9:05 class at 7:46. I was a changed woman. I was never going back to waking up thirty minutes before my class starts again.
Waking up early has been life-changing. I now have time to do my full morning routine, and even make a morning matcha latte (some days) . I’m no longer tumbling out of bed and stomping into my poor slippers to make a beeline to the bathroom. It’s relieving to take my time and actually breathe as I get myself ready in the morning. I even purchased an ice roller to implement into my skincare routine. I now look forward to ice-rolling my face in the morning, which gives me extra motivation to wake-up early. Instead of inhaling a protein bar on my walk to class for breakfast, I now have time to sit down and eat at Commons or Rand. No more embarrassing stomach growling interrupting class lectures. Walking to class is now peaceful and therapeutic, not a cardio workout anymore.
Setting my alarm for 7:30 in the morning has honestly brought me so much joy in the past two weeks. Yes, I still have days when I want to press snooze and get some extra sleep, but I love that I can start my day with a lot more tranquility and a lot less stress.