Have you ever woken up in such a terrible mood that you don’t want to get out of bed? That you dread school more than usual? Does your own family seem annoying? We’ve all been there, and the main culprit of grumpy and irritated mornings is the lack of sleep. “Waking up in a bad mood leads to negative chain of events, significantly impacting your day” says Jim Esquenida. As a teenager, it’s hard to wake up in an exuberant mood every morning when the night prior to my case of “Joody Moody”, I had track practice after school, then tennis, then loads of schoolwork, and by the time I forced myself to sleep it was already half past twelve.
My mother repeats “wake up” every two minutes, and when I do wake up it’s already 7:30. I spring out of bed on my legs that still haven’t woken up, rush to brush my teeth, splash water on my face, throw on my uniform, and put my hair in a disheveled ponytail. I zoom downstairs, pack my backpack, fill my water, grab my lunch, and jump in the car and it’s 7:50. My mother drives with a stern look on her face, scolding me with her “I told you so’s” and “This is why we don’t sleep late”. We turn the corner on my school street and I’m already defeated by the slow moving endless carline…I’m going to be late. That day I received a tardy, and as of arriving late to my English class, I missed eight minutes of an important lecture and announcements. This experience led me to have an unfulfilled day.
In order to balance school with sports, I needed a solution. So, the next week I would spend my weekend doing homework, and I would wake up at 5:30 every morning to work more and study. I slept earlier when I got home, and woke up happier. I’m not saying you should wake up at 5:30 every morning, but you should find a method that works best, and for me that was waking up early to complete work in the morning. When it was earlier and becoming lighter out, I became more productive and motivated compared to at night when all I want to do is relax. Prioritize your sleep, and find a sufficient routine that works for you to wake up carefree and determined.
