How to Wake Up When You Mean To

Rather than relying on negative emotions like panic to get you out of bed, try some of these tricks to make mornings in college easier!

By Ceanna Hayes Daniels — October 12, 2022

Tags: college life, general info, high school, schedules, sleep, time management

It doesn't matter if you're an early bird or a night owl; at some point, a morning will arrive where you just don't want to get out of bed for that 9 am lecture. When you find yourself in that scenario, the temptation arises just to hit snooze until the last minute, only to run to make it to class in time, then spend the rest of your day feeling rushed and guilty. Rather than relying on negative emotions like panic to get you out of bed, try some tricks to make mornings in college easier!

Give Yourself Something to Look Forward to

Waking up in the morning is far easier when you're excited about it — think of Christmas morning or the first day of a long-anticipated vacation. Giving yourself something to look forward to can help you ignore the urge to snooze for five more minutes, making it far easier to get out of bed when you intend.

For example, if you're a coffee person or a tea-lover, consider bringing a small coffeemaker or electric kettle to campus so that you can brew a fresh cup as soon as you wake up instead of waiting to reach the dining hall or campus coffee shop. If you thrive with routine workouts, schedule your gym sessions for first thing and let the endorphins motivate you for the rest of the day. If you love music, try kickstarting your morning with an impromptu concert. Brushing your teeth is way more enjoyable with your favorite singer providing the background track — remember to use your earbuds so you don't wake your roommate!

Eliminate Stressors the Night Before

The counterpart to giving yourself something to look forward to in the morning is getting rid of the things that make you want to hide in bed rather than face the day. Take a few minutes and ask yourself what barriers you face when starting the day, then brainstorm ways to eliminate those stressors in advance. For example, if you get stuck by your closet picking an outfit each morning, try laying one out over your desk chair before you sleep. If packing your backpack right before morning classes makes you anxious because you worry about forgetting something important in your rush, then pack your backpack the night before. If you hate competing with your roommate and suitemates for first dibs at the shower, try showering before bed so that you only have to brush your teeth and fix your hair when you wake up. Eliminating stressors like these can help reduce the decision fatigue and mental load that makes mornings stressful, improving your mood in the short term and setting you up for success as the day progresses.

Use a Morning Routine — With Discretion

Some people swear by their morning routines. Others find the concept overwhelming. They sometimes believe that to be successful, they must mimic the routine described by a personal hero, promoted by an influencer, or prescribed by their parents or coach. However, your morning routine does not have to match someone else's idea of an "ideal morning" to be successful; it only has to make your life easier.

Before mentally committing to a specific routine, consider whether it's likely to become a habit or remain a perpetual, draining to-do list. After all, its usefulness to you is more important than its appeal in the abstract, so aim for functionality first and foremost. Remember, a basic routine will always seem more manageable than a complex one — especially on mornings when you're tired, sick, drained from finishing a big project the night before, or simply unmotivated to get out of bed. Lastly, give yourself time to try various routines rather than berating yourself for not perfectly matching your expectations for the first one you try.

Set Your Alarm Across the Room and Get Moving

If you can reach the snooze button without even opening your eyes, there may be mornings where rolling over and going back to sleep may be too tempting to say "no" to. By contrast, having to get out of bed and walk across the dorm room to turn off your alarm can help you to wake up when you intend to.

This tip can be especially useful for people who have difficulty getting out of bed in the morning because it rapidly introduces movement into the first moments of your day. Getting out of bed to turn off your alarm incorporates action (getting up) into an instinct-based response (making the noise stop). This action helps you shake off your sluggishness and get your blood flowing before your conscious mind even has a chance to begin operating. Now you don't need to convince yourself to leave your comfy bed and can use that brain power on more important things later in the day!

To get more movement in without leaving your dorm room, try some simple stretches, a few jumping jacks, or dancing to a favorite song. If you're up for something more high-intensity, many schools have gyms or swimming pools open to students. Walking, running, or riding a bike can also be great ways to start your day while the weather permits outdoor activity.

Get Natural Light (Not Blue Light)

Like movement, natural light is an effective tool for waking up in the morning. The easiest ways to do this are to open your curtains or briefly head outside and breathe some fresh air. Even a few minutes will make a difference to your energy levels and overall mood!

Remember, however, that you need natural light to wake up, not blue light — using your phone first thing in the morning is more likely to keep you stuck in bed than motivate you to wake up. In addition, starting your day on social media will likely lead to an unproductive bout of scrolling paralysis and comparison to your peers, creating feelings of inadequacy rather than inspiration and motivation for the day ahead. You deserve better; instead of reaching for your phone first thing, start your day with something rewarding and energizing.

Make Your Bed

If your parents have told you to make your bed when you wake up and it's become background noise, it may be time to revisit the idea. As it turns out, making your bed first thing in the morning has several benefits that make it worth your time, even in a packed university schedule. For example, it's far easier to convince yourself to stay awake once you've made your bed than when your covers have folded back. It's easy to crawl back into — plus, like setting your alarm across the room, it introduces movement to your morning unobtrusively. If you make your bed first thing, it means you've achieved something within a minute of waking up. Starting the day with this accomplishment increases your motivation, and making your bed can help you set up your day for success before you've even left your dorm room.

Strategies like these can help you to wake up when you intend to rather than at the last minute, enabling you to start your day with enough time and energy to achieve the things that are meaningful to you.

Ceanna Hayes Daniels

Ceanna Hayes Daniels is freelance writer and editor. In 2022, she graduated Hillsdale College summa cum laude with a degree in politics. In her free time, she continues to enjoy studying philosophy, political theory, and literature. She and her husband live in Michigan, where the two enjoy perusing bookstores together for new books and old records.

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