I was not been a great morning person, until a few months ago. Just a few weeks into the new year, I realized I was always running out of time in a day and decided to get up few minutes earlier to catch up on things. One thing led to another and now I can’t stop raving about the benefits of waking up early.
What does your morning look like? How early do you wake up? And what are the other benefits of waking up early, according to you? Let us talk. Share on XBenefits of waking up early
Waking early by 6 AM is a habit that was expected of almost every Asian kid and as I got into later teens, it somehow translated into a rebellious thing to do – waking up at 8 or 9 AM. But now that I am an actual adult who has a never ending to do list, things have come to a full circle.
Let us talk about some other benefits of waking up early.
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Amazing start
Getting a head start on the day and ahead of your usual schedule can make you feel better about yourself. The feeling of being in control and not running like a headless chicken translates into a peaceful and productive day for me.
I even sneak in a bit of reading (non fiction books) into the morning schedule and that makes me feel like I am on the top of the world.
The quiet time
With the new normal of working from home and the non stop zoom calls and texts, getting some quiet time before the chaos starts is a blessing. Not having to think over the noise of Netflix and the other background commotion helps in focusing on the work in hand.
I wake up an hour or two earlier, depending on the day, and having the whole house to myself is a perfect way to start a day.
Increased productivity
It is no secret that the brain is alert and focused in the morning, at least once you have loaded it with caffeine.
With zero distractions and the newfound quietness, means you can put in some meaningful work as soon as you get up. And the high that you got some deep work done, will let you ride through the day on a positive note.
Eating the frog
We all have the one thing on your to do list and you keep procrastinating until we reach the deadline. And then half bake it, so that we can get it done with.
Don’t get me wrong. They are usually not even something I hate doing. And it is sometimes something that I want to do really well.
Of late I have been working on doing those special something tasks as soon as I wake up, like the post that you are currently reading. More often than not, these tasks require focus and uninterrupted time – a great choice for the morning task.
And even if you end up doing nothing else the whole day, just completing this one task would make you feel better about yourself.
Setting goals and things to do
The distraction free morning and the extra hour you get by waking early is perfect for setting the goals for the day and putting up your to do list. So you know what you can expect for the day and get into the slaying mindset.
Being more organized is a goal by itself for many of us and waking up early is a good way to start with that habit.
Get your breakfast on time
I can’t skip breakfast and I end up getting headaches if I do. While it is a good thing, I used to have the first meal of my day at around 11 AM (as I used to wake up around 9 AM), which meant the subsequent mealtimes are also disrupted.
But since I started waking up early, I have been eating my breakfast by 9 AM or earlier, which is something I have been trying so hard to so far.
So there is no more excuses for you for grabbing that granola bar or simply skipping your breakfast. Eat something filling and healthy, dude!
An extra hour or two
Not having a work life balance and not having time in a day are some of our usual complaints. But when you wake up early, you are basically getting an hour or so extra each day – an hour that you can spend on exercising or reading a book that you have been promising to.
What would you do if you have an extra hour each day?
Some tips to wake up earlier
I know these benefits of waking up early sound cool. But in reality it is definitely hard to get off the bed in the morning especially in the cold winter.
Here are some tips that worked for me when I started waking up earlier
- Try to go to bed earlier. If you are a night-owl like me, I know it sounds hard. But it is all a matter of getting into the habit. If you usually go to bed at 12 AM, try to sleep in 11 PM – baby steps work better.
- Don’t think waking up early as a chore. I know it sounds harder, but if you understand that it is for your own benefit, not some thing you HAVE TO DO as an adult.
- Instead, imagine waking up early as a reward by itself and you are getting an hour more each day.
- Hype your morning up. Just before you sleep, mentally plan and prepare for all the task on you to do list. Imagine of all the things you can get done from to do list before 9 AM.
- And finally, do not think. Get off the bed as soon as you wake up. Give your brain no chance to come up with excuses to get two minutes more of sleep or to snooze.
Previously on the topic
- How To Feel Better About Yourself: 7 Tips To Help You Right Away!
- Feeling Overwhelmed With Work – Things To Help You Out
- How To Finish What You Start: Stop Being A Serial Starter
- 15+ Motivational Quotes About Productivity And Time Management
- How To Be More Productive In Life: Tips To Getting Things Done
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Let’s chat
What does your morning look like? How early do you wake up? And what are the other benefits of waking up early, according to you? Let us talk.
I wake up around 5 a.m. on work days. That gives me enough time to wash up and have a small breakfast (bowl of cereal and fruit, usually) without rushing too much before I start work at 6:30 a.m. I might read a little, but I find reading in the morning before work makes me lose time and I end up running late. I might catch up on the news on my phone or check Facebook though. I used to fit in a workout in the mornings before work when I started work a little later, but that is harder to do these days. I just can’t bring myself to get up at 4 or 4:30. I already get less sleep than I’d like most nights, and if I went to bed early to make up for getting up early–well, I’d have to skip dinner with my family. That’s not something I want to give up. It’s hard balancing mine, my husband’s and my daughter’s schedules often times!
I actually find for me that I prefer to hit that snooze button (once). It gives my brain time to wake up before I get out of bed. I know most of the advice out there says it’s not a good idea, but it helps center me a bit more for my day ahead. I guess you could say it’s my brief meditation time?
Another way I deviate from the advice here is that I prefer to make my to do list (especially if it’s work related) at the close of my day the day before. That way I can start the next day up and running. I feel more prepared that way, mentally and otherwise. It helps me ease into the day and not feel rushed, which sets the tone for the rest of my day.
I love how you adapt the advices as they work for you! Perfect decision.
I do like early mornings, but often find myself awake in the middle of the night. So I don’t rise until 8-8:30 but mornings are my most productive.
I hate getting too early and then oversleeping in the morning. I mean who does!
Great post, I’d love to be able to get up earlier but I’m struggling, lockdown has screwed up my daily schedule too.
The one I thing I know I shouldn’t do is hit snooze, you are right you should just get up!
That works for me so well. I hope it does for you too!