It’s Jan. 4, six in the morning. The annoying ring of an alarm clock gradually grows in volume, making even the happiest of morning birds want to throw their phone in a lake. It’s the third quarter, and a slap in the face is more welcome than a bus ride to school.

The third quarter is full of anger, sadness, frustration and grumpiness. It’s the slump of all slumps, and the only thing harder than not falling in is getting out. Here are a few ways to keep yourself from becoming a victim of the third quarter slump:

1. Plan your outfits for the week. Knowing what you’re going to wear in advance can save you mountains of time every morning. Plus you won’t go to school frustrated and in the sweater you slept in.

2. Pack a healthy lunch with fruits and veggies. It’s proven that fruits and vegetables are mood boosters, and they provide energy to keep you running all day by fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org. Nobody likes picked over pizza for lunch anyway.

3. Get plenty of sleep. Whether you sleep for six hours or 10 hours, a night well rested leads to an alertness that 16 ounces of coffee can’t provide. Healthysleep.med.harvard.edu studied the effects of a small amount of sleep, and they learned a poor night’s sleep leads to irritability and stress.

4. Drink water. Water is essential and tastes delicious. According to breakingmuscle.com, water reduces headaches, decreases crankiness, helps weight loss and more.

5. Take 15 minutes of “me time” every day. According to liveanddare.com’s research, spending a little bit of time each day to meditate does wonders to your body, health and mind. Search in the App store for guided meditation apps if you need help.

6. Exercise! According to adaa.com, exercise is linked to maintaining mental illness and reducing stress. Their studies also show exercise reduces fatigue, improves alertness and concentration, and at enhancing your cognitive function.