#tuani-studies

Not the most aesthetic, but functional. Taking notes for a Global Sociology class I’m taking online over the summer

thank you 💖

1. i wear glasses (which are completely scratched and i need new ones)

2. i only listen to movie scores when i study 

3. i love going to movies alone

4. i prefer writing term papers over taking exams

5. i learned spanish first and then got bored and started learning russian

6. my favorite place that i’ve traveled is prague

7. my goal is to know 3 languages by 2020

8. i wear more layers than should be humanly possible in the winter (sue me i like being warm and if that takes 2 sweaters so be it)

9. i know how to sail a small boat

Hey everybody! I’ve found that getting up early makes my day so much better, regardless of what I do with that extra time. I leave for school at around 7am, and I get up between 5 and 5:30am every morning. 

First for the how:

-use an app! I use Sleep Better (the free version), but there’s tons of others, including Sleep Cycle and Sleepbot (Android). These apps track your sleep and wake you up during your lightest sleep. For example, if I set the alarm for 5:30am, it will wake me up between 5 and 5:30am when I am sleeping the lightest. These help you feel so much more awake when you wake up! Plus they have some snazzy sounds, whether you like a gentle wake-up or a more energetic one.

-be consistent. Getting up at different times every day will throw off your internal clock, meaning you’ll get worse sleep and have a harder time getting up. So, try to get up within 30 minutes of the same time every day! (unfortunately, this means weekends too- try your best not to sleep in catastrophically)

-bribe yourself, don’t guilt yourself into it. What would you rather do- get up and slog through the physics homework you put off? Or get up and make a fun drink/breakfast and do something you enjoy? Obviously, the latter. Make sure your motivation is positive, not negative. 

-form habits. this comes with time, but it works like a charm. If you do the same thing immediately after waking up every day, it’ll be put on autopilot. I always get up, make my bed, and go to my desk to journal/do a devotional. At first it was hard, but now it’s completely a habit, and it requires no brain activity.

Now, for the why? I’ll try to keep these non-cliché 

-do you like fun breakfasts? coffee from Starbucks? peace and quiet? working out? drawing? writing fanfiction? hobbies???? If the answer is yes to any of these, then you will understand. The morning is your time to do whatever the heck you want! People don’t bother you, responsibilities don’t bother you- you’re free! 

-planning! I used to rush out the door of my house having only a vague idea of what the day would look like. Now, I spend 5-10 min. planning and going over my day, and my anxiety eases a solid 65% (that’s a lot guys). Take a few min to at least look over your day, if not bullet journal or fill in your planner.

-and, finally: it helps you b r e a t h e. As a high schooler, I understand how hectic everything can get, what with sports, school, homework, jobs, volunteering, and whatever else you lovely people fill your days with. Mornings are a time to have a break from that, even if it’s only 15 minutes. 

I hope this helps somebody!! If you have any other tips/suggestions, send me an ask or reblog/reply :) best of luck to everyone as they go back to school!