It’s 4:28am as I am typing this on my computer. Some people on instagram yesterday were asking me to post about how I manage to get up at the crack of dawn and so I thought I could talk about it now! I can do a full post with getting up early tips as well, but for now, here is what I do and how it works for me.
I progressively started getting up earlier and earlier in medical school because I study better in the morning. Late at night I am tired, there are SO many distractions, and I don’t retain as much. Early in the morning, there are ZERO distractions. No one is around to talk to. No one is awake to talk to. Nothing cool happens on facebook at 4am. In my opinion, it is the best time to get work done. Think about it: if you start studying at 5am and don’t stop or get interrupted until 9am, that is 4 HOURS of awesome studying or work you got in.
When I was a second year in med school, I would get up at 4 and study until noon and then be pretty much done for the day. I would have already studied for 8 hours and I then had the rest of the day to workout, run errands, etc.
Getting up early is self-perpetuating because the earlier you get up, the more tired you are earlier at night. Some people struggle to go to bed early because they aren’t tired. Well, if you get up at 4am I promise you will be tired by 8pm. I try to be in bed before 9pm and definitely have lights out by 9. That gives me a solid 7 hours. Sometimes (like 2 days ago) I need some catch-up sleep and I go to bed at 7:30pm LOL!!
But going to bed earlier doesn’t matter because you’ve already gotten the important stuff off your to-do list early in the morning. Plus, the only things you miss late at night are TV shows and facebook.
I reward myself for getting up early by watching my favorite TV shows on my computer while I workout or get ready.
So in summary- here is my exact routine:
- 4am- alarm goes off
- 4:10-4:15- officially out of bed- make coffee immediately
- 4:20-6am- get stuff done (blog/work out/study/check emails/take over the world)
- 6:00-7:00- get ready, pack lunch, have breakfast
- 7:00- leave the house for work
****THIS IS ALL SUBJECT TO CHANGE WHEN I’M ON SURGERY AND HAVE TO BE THERE AT 3:30 AM***
And here are my best tips for making this happen:
- Go to bed early- try to get to sleep early. I like to read before bed because it makes me tired. DO NOT watch TV in bed
- Set more than 1 alarm. Even though I’m getting enough sleep, I could still sleep until 6am or 7am no problem- so I set 4 or 5 alarms 3 minutes apart. I generally only need 3 of them (my own snooze button)
- Make coffee or breakfast when you first get up- there’s no use in being awake if you can’t be productive
- Reward yourself! Watch TV or tell yourself you get an extra 15 minutes to read the news.
- Lastly, procrastinate- leave something to do in the morning. If you have to do something, you will be forced to get up. I often leave certain assignments to do that morning because I know I will be more fresh and get them done faster rather than staying up all night working on something.
Hope this helps! Do you get up early? What are your tips?
And now onto recapping yesterday:
Breakfast
I was in a savory mood again yesterday and so I made some thai peanut chicken lettuce wraps and enjoyed a carrot cake bar on the side.
To my amazement, I actually got up and did 30min of yoga yesterday- go me! I always say I’m going to do yoga and then I never do, so that was a big step.
Then it was off to clinic!
We had yet another orientation yesterday. This orientation was for anesthesia and surgical subspecialty. As part of the surgery block, you do 2 weeks of a subspecialty (I’m doing ophthalmology) and 2 weeks of anesthesia. After that orientation I left with 2 other classmates to go to ophthalmology clinic. We spent the morning watching a video for ophtho and then seeing patients with the residents.
This is the book they gave us to study- it’s from 1982…
Lunch
Lunch looked pretty similar to lunch the past few days: turkey muffins and veggie patties. I forgot to take a picture of it as I was eating with an attending physician and we were chatting about medical school…
The rest of the afternoon was pretty low-key. My classmate and I played with “Fundus Freddie”, a training man used to help you learn to look at the back of someone’s eyes. Freddie has a removable back side of his head. You can insert slides that mimic his retina. Each slide represents a different disease state.
Then you can practice using your ophthalmoscope to look into his eyes and diagnose his disease!
Pretty fun!
Dinner
Once I arrived home I was starving (aren’t I always?) and so I made a HUGE plate of 1 turkey muffin, chicken, baby kale, 2 veggie patties, and lots of sriracha and ketchup. I know it looks like a mess, but it was good!!
Workout
During our orientation yesterday, we were inundated with information about all the stuff we have to do, all the quizzes and tests, how much goes into our grade, blah blah blah. Basically, I sat there with anxiety thinking about how much I need to study! Since I’m on a slightly ‘easy’ rotation (ophthalmology and anesthesia have great hours), I need to start studying for surgery when I will have NO free time. So, I had planned on doing a Jillian Michaels workout, but instead I strapped my computer to my treadmill and got some studying done while I jogged out 4 miles.
I have been so thirsty lately!
After that, it was bedtime!
Questions:
What time do you wake up? Are you a morning worker-outer or evening?
Do you get studying anxiety like me?
High five’s to early birds! I’m up around 4:30 most days. I get soooo much done!
You are the picture of getting TONS of stuff done!! Busy lady!!
Im such a morning person—-only outta fear the rest of the day will be committed away with work and motherhood
YOU GOT THIS Sister!!
MizFit recently posted…BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP!
hahah thanks MIZ!!!
YES to another morning person! I’m absolutely useless at night…although I usually don’t get up at 4 am either! haha. I’m more of a 6-7am-er when I need to get work done, but I save my workouts for later in the day as a nice little break from the rest of the world.
I like afternoon workouts too!!! They are a great way to combat that afternoon dip in energy I feel sometimes.
This was a great post! I get up at 5 am on days I want to get a little work out in, but other than that my typical weekday morning wake up time is 6 :15. I like the idea though of how much I can get done just by waking up an extra hour earlier.. I may need to try this!
It’s crazy how much you can check off your list when nothing is going on and no one is bothering you lol!
Love your headband! It’s so pretty!
I usually work out in the afternoon while my kids nap, but yesterday the workout (I do crossfit) was only going to be about 10 min, so I got it done by 9am. It was super intense and had to peel myself off the floor afterward. So during nap time I got a full 2 hours of studying in! Yay!
When I was in high school in Gatesville, tx, we got to use all of those dummies in our science labs because the company that supplies the whole country with medical plastics was right up the road. They donated the dummies to us for feedback.
That ophtamology dummy is super cool! What fun!
How cool for you in high school!!! Sounds like your days are crazy busy! Way to get in a tough workout- those short ones are SO hard!
I think you just inspired me to get up earlier to get more done! I think I’m a little backwards with my workout schedules – when I have more free time, I like to get my workout done in the morning. But when I’m busier, I usually end up getting a sweat sesh in later in the evening!
Also, I absolutely have studying anxiety too – I’m still an undergrad tho so I’m sure it will be even worse in grad school! :-/
I used to work out in the morning, but now I take a bunch of fitness classes and they are mostly at night. I still manage to get up for a 6am spin class and run a couple mornings a week in addition to my classes. I usually do my studying in the morning. I am much more alert and focused and it is way quieter in the morning, which is awesome.
Mel recently posted…Fitness Addiction
You are awesome Mel.
Hi Andrea! I just recently stumbled upon your blog, and boy I am SO glad I did! I’m finishing up my undergrad this spring and figuring out where i want to go to grad school. I thinking more of the PA route but I seriously love reading your blog for all the medical school stories! P.S. Sriracha + Ketchup is a killer combo, I’m quite obsessed with it myself
theresa @ aspoonfulofsunshine recently posted…Aloic Organic Aloe Vera Drink Review
Hi Theresa!! Thank you SO much for your comment!!! Glad you found the blog! PA school is AMAZING and I would totally recommend it. My fiance is a PA and works in orthopedics and LOVES it. He has a great job- gets to do surgery, clinic, everything basically! Hope to hear from you again soon!!
It’s so true that you get more done when you wake up earlier. I always wake up at 5 am and my family thinks I’m crazy to wake up that early! I “sleep in” until 6 am on the weekends.
Helen recently posted…Weekend Recap & Back to school
I feel like we are so similar Helen! We have so much in common!
when you get up so early, do you bk right away? I always feel like if I am at 5 am I will get super hungry for LUNCh at like 9 lol!
I try not to eat breakfast until at least 6am because I am like you- I will be starving by 9am. So if I’m hungry when I wake up I have a snack like almonds or 1/2 banana or something like that to hold me over
Every post I love the idea of med school more and more, even with you stressing about studying. I am SUCH a bad stress-myself-outter sometimes. I have been getting a lot better with it, but sometimes I still get caught up and totally freak out! Right now, I have dance and work that doesn’t have me eating dinner until 9 or 10, so early 4am wakeups aren’t in the cards right now. But maybe someday.
Amanda @ Run Principessa recently posted…I’m Alive
Your schedule is crazy and you are doing awesome with it! I am glad my posts make you wanna go to med school! You can do it!!
I actually feel inspired to get up early… for now!
Thanks!!!
Yay!!! Go you!
So true! I hate the feeling of being rushed in the morning – I have to leave for work arou d 6:30AM
Divya recently posted…All The Things I’m Loving
Have just discovered your blog recently, and love it! I am currently in my fourth year as an undergrad, hoping to go to med school!!! You’re defiantly an inspiration, and I love seeing all the things you do in med school:) Can’t wait to start reading more!!!
Hi GIGI!!!! I am so glad you found the blog!!! Thank you for your sweet comment! Good luck finishing up under-grad. Where are you looking to go to med school??