Motivate Yourself to Make it to Class This Winter

By Ian Donnelly

Going to class is difficult enough in college, but when Old Man Winter comes around, it’s borderline torture. Every student is guilty of staying tucked under the sheets for too long, and with good reason— less daylight, colder temperatures, and the invention of the snooze button are all working against you during the winter semester.

Running late once in a while won’t make your GPA plummet, but if this becomes a habit your overall performance in college will suffer. It’s important to consciously fuel your willpower when the weather outside is frightful. Here are some methods you can use to combat your natural instincts and find the motivation to make it to class and earn your diploma— even if it’s sub-zero outside.

Get Enough Sleep—But Not Too Much

It takes effort to avoid late nights in college even if you aren’t always studying. The best way to get a grip on those crucial Z’s is by making a habit of getting to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every day. This puts your body on a natural alarm system and keeps you from feeling disjointed by odd sleeping patterns.

Aim to get between seven to nine hours of sleep each night. When you dip below seven hours, you start to lose energy, your concentration suffers, and your cozy bed can feel way too tempting. At the same time, it’s important not to get too much sleep. Extra hours in bed will throw your body out of whack, and sleeping for over ten hours can also be detrimental to your health.

Too much sleep is especially hard to handle in the colder season. Winter means less sunlight, which reduces your body’s natural release of melatonin, causing you to feel more drained and tired than usual. It’s natural to want to hibernate in the gloomy winter months so you have to make a conscious choice to rise and shine.

Get Those Much-Needed Nutrients

Eating nutritious meals and maintaining a healthy diet is always beneficial despite the season. Nevertheless, it’s especially important to keep up good habits in the winter months when energy is harder to come by.

The sun is your best source for vitamin D and plays a large role in boosting your energy and mood. Since daylight is a rare commodity during the winter, you naturally get less of it. With the right diet, you can bypass this seasonal deficiency by obtaining all those much-needed vitamins and minerals from healthy fruits, vegetables, and supplements.

Choosing healthy fats and complex carbs such as nuts, beans, oats, eggs, and whole grains will motivate you to roll out of bed and seize the day. Pizza and fast food may taste delicious, but they act as “empty calories” that can make you sluggish. When the weather is working against you, nutritious meals will keep you productive, healthy, and looking on the bright side.

Get Some Quality Winter Clothes

It may seem like common sense, but you need to invest in quality winter clothes. It makes all the difference when you’re trudging through eight inches of snow to your 8 a.m. class. Many college students have a habit of throwing on a few layers of clothing—usually consisting of a long sleeve shirt, a hoodie, and some jeans— to brave the harsh winter weather, but anyone who has tried this shortcut knows that it’s worth it to invest in the proper gear.

Having warm, comfortable clothing suitable for the frigid months will make your commute to class much easier. If you’re in an area that tends to get a fair share of snowfall, be sure to buy snow-proof socks, shoes, and a good coat. Sitting in class with snow drenched, ill-suited shoes and clothes is enough to make anyone consider skipping a class! You need to make sure that you have all the resources you need to overcome the harsh weather inherent of winter.

It may feel like Mother Nature wants you to stay under the covers when the alarm goes off on those chilly winter mornings, but fighting the back-to-bed instinct is vital in earning your degree, securing a job, and building a sustainable future. As long as you take these motivational tips to heart, you can stay motivated, energized, and prepared to make the grade!

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