Rise and shine!

Waking up earlier in the morning will change your life for the better, writes  Colm Fitzpatrick

 

During the winter season, when mornings and nights are both cold and dark, the prospect of voluntarily waking up at 4.30am seems like an untenable and daunting nightmare. To intentionally remove yourself from the comforting warmth of your bed to face the drudgery and stresses of everyday life sounds like an unavailable option, reserved for insomniacs and people trying to catch an early-morning flight.

Yet, for millions of people globally, waking up in the early hours of the morning gives them the energy and enthusiasm to take on the important matters of their day. In fact, many well-known celebrities and entrepreneurs attribute their success to their morning routine habits as it provides structure and more time to think and create. For example, Tim Cooke, the CEO of the tech-giant Apple, wakes up at 3.45am to sift through hundreds of emails and then hits the gym at around 5.00am for a morning workout.

More recently, the Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg told social media that he rises at 2.30am which is followed by half-an-hour of prayer, a gym session and then breakfast.

To average onlookers, these individuals may appear to look like superheroes impervious to the effects of tiredness, but in reality, they just have a planned routine and stuck to it until it became normal. Although biologically, some people may need less sleep to function, it’s certainly the case that everyone can alter their sleeping routine to get the best out of their mornings. Here are seven reasons why you should give it a go, and perhaps it might even change your life.

1. Avoid the rush

A great reason to be an early riser is that you won’t have the feeling of being rushed which waking up later usually entails.

Robotically and unconsciously brushing your teeth, getting dressed and managing to squeeze in a quick breakfast before heading out the door is the norm for most people. Studies have shown that around 33% of working women feeling rushed while the figure for working men is 25%, and this number increases if you’re a parent. However, this isn’t the case if you’re an early riser. By waking up a little less late in the morning, you will have more time to focus on hygiene care, decide what you want to wear and fit in a nutritious breakfast.

If you’re a parent with children in school, you’ll have more time to meal prep for their lunches and make sure they have everything they need. In this way, you can avoid the morning rush and the stress associated with it for a more productive day.

2. Appreciate quietness

Another great benefit of waking up early is the ability to appreciate quietness. Our days are usually infiltrated with noise from phones, commuting, colleagues and family so it’s very rare that we ever get to experience prolonged times of silence.

This opportunity will allow you to reflect on the day without any unwanted interruptions, and allow you to think clearly about what you want to achieve. Many people use this quiet time to mediate or practice yoga which is amplified in a space of stillness and calmness.

By waking up early, you’ll learn to develop a love for this quiet time, and it may become the area in your life where your most important decisions are made, and ideas are created.

3. Exercise with ease

Hitting the gym in the early morning hours is also a great practice. One of the most common excuses people make for not exercising is that they don’t have enough time. This is a response that should be met with sympathy, especially for those in the workforce.

Working a 9-5 job, in between making meals, taking care of children and trying to fit in some leisure time is not an easy task. However, if you’re an early riser, you’ll be afforded the time to go to the gym more often. This is also ideal for people who are frightened or intimidated by joining a gym out of fear they will be judged by others as there will be very few people there early in the morning.

A quick half-an-hour workout is all that’s needed, and then you can hit the shower before beginning your day knowing that you have already accomplished something important.

Gyms are usually close-by, either near your house or passed on a morning commute so distance shouldn’t be a big issue. If it is, a home-workout will also suffice, and so as long as you keep at it, you’ll become stronger and more energetic.

4. Improve your health

Physical health can also be maintained much better by waking up early because your nutritional standards are vastly improved. By rising later in the morning, you’re less likely to eat a healthy breakfast, and this also extends into lunch and dinnertime.

Early mornings mean you can plan out your weekly eating plan with ease and then act on it. Best of all, you can head to the local supermarket before anyone else is there and buy all of your groceries in a breeze, even picking up a few bargains before others have seen them. With this structure, you can prepare all your meals in advance and pop them in the freezer.

Moreover if you’re having a few friends over or a romantic dinner date in the house, you have plenty of time to decide what culinary dish you want to make.

5. More productive

Another benefit of waking up early is that it has a strong correlation with productivity. A study by Harvard biologist, Christoph Randler, discovered that early risers are more proactive. They were more likely to agree with statements like “I spend time identifying long-range goals for myself” and “I feel in charge of making things happen”.

After a good night’s sleep your brain will be charged from yesterday’s work, and will be functioning optimally. There’s no better time than in the morning to review your goals and decide what you want to do that day to reach them.

Productivity also extends to students too. Some research has shown that individuals who wake up early receive better grades so perhaps it’s a practice even teenagers could adapt – although trying to enforce this as a parent is much more easily said than done!

6. Better sleep

Although it may seem like those who wake up early don’t get enough sleep, the reality is that early risers get plenty of shut eye. This is because they often go to bed much earlier in the evening at a fixed time to curb off their tiredness and prepare for a refreshing and energising start the next day.

Moreover, the quality of their sleep also improves given their fixed routine which means they feel much more stimulated in the morning. Often, people who get in eight hours of sleep still feel lethargic when they wake up, but this is probably due to how they treat themselves throughout the day, be it not eating properly or hitting the hay late at night. But by routinely waking up early and following a pattern, these problems will disappear.

7. It makes you happy!

One of the best and most important reasons why you should wake up early is that it improves your mental health and makes you much happier.

Endless research has shown that ‘morning people’ are more optimistic and positive not only about themselves but also about the day ahead of them.

This is due to a combination of factors already mentioned, but researchers have also suggested that our modern world in all its frenzy is better catered to early risers than night owls. In any case, the evidence is clear that waking up early will make you feel more confident in yourself and give you the time to take on the day ahead of you.

*****

The benefits of waking up early are clear, so if it’s an idea that appeals to you the next step is making this goal a reality. Do some research about how to get up earlier, and look at tips to make it easier for yourself.

It’s the recipe for any success story and will surely teach you more about yourself and what you’re capable of really doing.