As the school year goes on, students become less punctual, and many can be left scrambling to get out the door while still trying to look slightly presentable. For students who struggle with this, here are some tips for school nights, weekends and mornings in order to get out the door faster, while being less stressed and looking put together (even if they are really not).
Preparing the night before is key in order to save time and peace of mind the next morning. By not procrastinating, the morning will become more organized and more efficient.
Do homework on the weekends
By doing homework throughout the weekend instead of saving it all for Sunday night, Sunday evening can be a good time to pick out clothes for the week, read, scroll through Instagram and relax. Everyone needs a break before the rush of the week starts up again. It is difficult to be motivated during the weekend to do homework, but listening to music and finding a quiet place in the house helps. Or, stop by a local coffee shop, maybe with a study buddy, plug in your earphones and get down to business. Go on Saturday or Sunday, in the morning or the afternoon, to leave time in the evening to do fun things. It will be well worth it when your homework is done and there is extra time to relax on Sunday night and the rest of the week.
Use a weather app to pick out your clothes for the week
If outfits are a priority, then it is vital to save time to pick your clothing out. To avoid spending a large portion of time in the morning scrambling to find an outfit, download the weather app on your phone to help pick out weather-appropriate outfits and prepare ahead of time.
Shower at night
For girls, showering in the morning means having to blow dry your hair, cutting out a huge portion of time. A night shower can be more relaxing. By taking a shower at night, there will be no need to get up early in the morning, providing more hours for to sleep. Plus, it is always nice to go to bed feeling clean.
Get your backpack ready at night
To avoid the mad rush in the morning, pack your backpack after your homework is finished and set it by the door. This way, you can grab it on the way out the following morning. There will not be any rushing around, grabbing random papers or risking forgetting something essential for a class.
Eat a healthy breakfast
Go to a grocery store over the weekend and buy some frozen fruit, like mixed berries or mango and strawberries, some kale or spinach and some almond milk to make a healthy smoothie. Green smoothies offer an abundant amount of vitamins and nutrients, and are tasty. A lot of people do not like vegetables as much as they like fruit, so this is a good way to get some of your daily nutrients. The green in the smoothie will provide longer lasting energy than fruit, because fruit is high in sugar and will metabolize quickly. Otherwise, a more traditional route, like whole wheat toast with peanut butter and honey, or some eggs with avocado, are good alternatives.
Put together breakfast and lunch
In order to avoid going to class with a growling stomach, choose a breakfast the night before and grab it on the way out to school. Go to the grocery store during the weekend to buy healthy breakfast options. When running late in the morning, grab fruit, yogurt, whole grain breakfast or granola bars. It is crucial not to skip breakfast because it gives you energy to stay focused during class, and it prevents a mid-morning slump. After doing homework, take time to pick out what to have for breakfast and lunch the next morning. Know what you have to do the next morning, and do preparation, even if it is as simple as cutting up fruit or getting out the cereal box.
Set multiple alarms (in case you sleep through the first one)
Using the alarm on a mobile device, (or an actual clock), set multiple alarms for when to wake up and when to leave for school. It is never fun to be the person who walks into first period late because you did not wake up on time. Alarms are generally reliable, just remember to click a.m., NOT p.m.
After preparing the night before, the majority of your morning will no longer be spent scrambling to find clothes or homework. This leaves time to be productive, and to start the day on a good note.
Blast some energizing music
When getting ready in the morning, play some “pump-up” songs, or songs that can be listened to get energized. A good pump-up song will boost anyone’s mood and prepare them to start the day. When adequately enthused, run around the house instead of dragging your feet. The pump-up jams will help this process. Hopefully there will not be any tardies because of the running, but if so, at least you will be adequately pumped up.
Meditation
Once your alarm has gone off, find a designated meditation spot, such as a chair or a place on the floor, and begin to meditate. Meditating has recently been linked to getting better sleep, improving memory and being less stressed in life. There is no need to make this a complicated process. An easy way to meditate is by setting a timer for two minutes, sitting comfortably with your eyes closed, and focus on breathing. Do this consecutively until you have reached Nirvana. Studies from the UCLA School of Medicine have shown that meditators’ brains are more efficient at processing information, making emotions more manageable, thoughts less cluttered, attention more controlled and choices made in a more mindful manner.
Stay hydrated
Fill a glass with water before school starts and drink up. This will flush out toxins, fire up metabolism and fuel the brain. This will increase focus during class, and will lead to the feeling of being more refreshed. Also, remember to fill up a bottle to bring to drink throughout the day at school.
Exercise for 30 minutes
Exercising every day decreases stress, anxiety and depression. It can also be hard to find time daily to work out, so by working out first thing in the morning, it is over with and there is no need to worry about it for the rest of the day. Easy morning workouts include going to the gym, going for a run around your neighborhood, downloading the “7 Minute Workout” app, doing Blogilates or “Yoga with Adriene” on YouTube.
With these tips, mornings will be less of a hassle and prepare you for the day.
