With midterm week comes complaints from students regarding their lack of sleep and excessive stress. As a result, many students tend to stay up late and skip class to try and catch up in their perpetual state of being behind on classwork.

However, the problem with trying to catch up is it takes away from time spent elsewhere. So, if I stay up late to finish some homework, I’ll get less sleep and won’t be able to pay attention in class, if I even wake up and get to class on time.

These issues then continue to pile up. Eventually, these small problems become something that seems too much to handle.

The way to prevent this stress from overwhelming you is with a morning routine — something to start your morning off right and kick-start a productive day. This can be something as small as making your bed in the morning.

A morning routine that you execute daily will help combat the feelings of stress and anxiety because you force yourself to complete a task that is beneficial for you. It’s similar to how small problems can snowball and become large, overwhelming issues — small beneficial tasks can fuel a day of productivity.

For example, say your routine is to wake up every morning at eight in order to eat breakfast before your first class. If you follow through with the routine, you won’t be late to class and you’ve already accomplished a few goals you set up for yourself; then, you’re on schedule to having a productive day.

Many students I know claim to be night owls and don’t think they’re morning people because they can’t wake up early in the morning. But sleep schedules are like clockwork; if you’re consistently sleeping and waking up at the same times, your body gets into a rhythm, and it no longer becomes a chore to wake up in the morning. If you aren’t waking up early, try adjusting your sleep schedule to go to sleep earlier and wake up earlier.

In addition to being more productive, there are many other benefits to having a morning routine, including being more proactive, maintaining a healthier diet and simply having more time in the day.

School’s already stressful enough, so having something solid to lean on, like a routine, is a commodity that’ll help maintain your sanity through difficult weeks. A morning routine isn’t a new concept either, it’s a tried and true way to have a productive day.

As Benjamin Franklin once said, “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

Brian is a junior in Engineering.

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