Rising early is the secret to productivity for many successful people. Waking up early may seem difficult, especially for night owls, but it has great benefits, including improving sleep quality, mental health, and productivity. Here are my 5 benefits of early rising and offer advice on how you can begin waking up early so you start your days off right.
1. Be grateful for each morning.
Early mornings are rather under appreciated. They’re quiet, peaceful, and give you time to enjoy your own company. Open your blinds to let the light in or step outside since the direct sunlight regulates your circadian rhythm, leaving you more energized in the mornings and tired earlier in the evenings. You learn to be grateful for each morning and it helps increase your overall happiness. Something simple like feeling grateful for the sunrise, the birds chirping, your sleeping kids, or even the fact that you are alive and healthy are all great things to feel grateful for. It’s like taking a happiness pill each morning before you get up.
2. Improved Cognitive Function
Early risers tend to concentrate better and be more alert and energized throughout the day.
There is a possible link between waking up early and success. Morning people are more proactive and goal-oriented, have strong problem-solving skills, and do well in school, eventually going to good colleges and landing high-paying jobs.
A study found college students who were self-proclaimed “morning people” earned a full grade point higher than those who stayed up late. Sleeping poorly is related to worsened cognitive performance including poor memory, trouble concentrating and thinking, and mood swings.
3. Extra Time to Eat Breakfast
If you wake up late and have to rush out the door, you’re more likely to grab a quick and unhealthy snack or skip breakfast entirely. Late sleepers and risers eat 248 more calories per day, half as many fruits, and veggies, and twice as much soda and fast food compared to people who sleep and rise early.
When you wake up early, you have time to make a well-rounded and healthy breakfast. With a satiating first meal, you’re more likely to make healthier snacking choices later on in the day, potentially minimizing your risk of weight gain and obesity.
4. Time for Morning Workouts
For busy individuals, early mornings might be the only time to fit exercise in. After long school or workdays, getting to the gym can be difficult and you might feel unmotivated. It can be easy to skip a workout after a long day, but it’s not so easy to do so in the mornings.
Getting a workout in the morning, when you’re feeling the most energized, not only starts your day on the right foot but is important for your physical and mental health.
5. Time for Make -up and Outfit
Last but not least, time for Yourself, for your Face, Hair routine, and Outfit. A morning skincare routine, protects and preserve the skin throughout the day. Skipping your morning skincare routine has the potential to cause a variety of issues, such as clogged pores, acne, and leaving the skin more susceptible to damage caused by pollution and the sun's harsh rays. If you barely have enough time to finish your morning cup of coffee, so putting together a cute look seems impossible. But you know how important is to not only to look but also to feel good in your outfit all day long. If you open your wardrobe and, surrounded by blouses and dresses and pants you’ve worn a million times before, but have no time and thoughts on what to wear. In desperate moments like this, you need to win a time to give you a put-together, polished outfit that you can actually feel good about. You will have this time when you wake up early.
How to Start Waking Up Early
Becoming a natural early riser won’t happen overnight and it might be difficult at first, but you can train your body and mind to wake up more easily. With the benefits of early-rising in mind, here are some ways to start getting up and at ’em early.
Find A Motivator
Give yourself a reason to wake up early and spend your mornings doing something valuable to you, whether it be morning running, gardening, or prepping a slow-cooker meal. Without a good reason to wake up early, your groggy brain might rationalize sleeping in.
Make Small Changes
When starting to wake up early, don’t make huge changes at once as it can be overwhelming (mentally and physically) and lead to crashing. For example, don’t start waking up at 5 a.m. one day if you’re usually sleeping in until 11 a.m.
Instead, gradually wake up earlier and earlier (in 15 to 30-minute interval changes) over several days or weeks until you reach your ideal wake-up time. By doing so, your body has more time to adjust to its altered sleep patterns and any adverse effects (fatigue, sleep inertia, sleep deprivation) are minimized.
Develop a Sleep Schedule
A consistent sleep schedule improves your circadian rhythm’s timing, and eventually, you will get tired and wake up around the same time every day. Set a sleep schedule where you can get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night.
If you already have your early morning routine, you know how great does it feels, and how can you enjoy the day, in your own best way!