The cliche is that the “early bird gets the worm,” but the early bird also gets eggs and sausage and bacon. Rising early is not easy for everyone, but there are many benefits to rising early and avoiding that snooze button until the very last minute. Keep reading below for some of the perks granted to early risers, as well as a couple of tips on how you can start waking up earlier.
You have time to eat breakfast: Like mentioned in the intro, waking up early gives you the chance to actually enjoy your breakfast. No more granola bars as you run on the door! Instead, you have time to make and eat a hearty plate of deliciousness. A solid breakfast sets you up to be more focused and energetic throughout the day.
You can work out and get your exercise: Working out in the morning has many benefits. It’s a lot easier to neglect exercise in the evening because your personal life will ultimately take priority, and there is always something that needs to be done there—exercise usually gets put on the back burner. Evening exercise may not give your body the appropriate amount of time needed to calm down and return to a healthy baseline, and this may lead to a less-peaceful sleep. Working out in the morning jumpstarts your body right away making it easier than ever to be productive right out of the gate.
You can establish a sense of peace: Waking up early gives you the chance to come to terms with the day in front of you and mentally prepare for the challenges ahead. There’s less commotion in the earlier hours, and with that comes solitude. Watch the sunrise while drinking your coffee or reading a book, then tell me your day isn’t drastically improved. I dare you.
You can’t become an early bird overnight. If you decide one day wake up drastically earlier than the day before, you can’t expect everything to fall into place—you’re just stealing sleep from yourself. Instead, you have to prepare for your new routine.
Start small: Begin by setting your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier than your normal wakeup time. Once you get accustomed to that, set your alarm another 15 minutes earlier. Repeat this process until your reach your desired wakeup time.
Go to sleep earlier: This one is pretty obvious. If you plan on waking up earlier, you will need to fall asleep earlier. This is not as difficult as it seems, you simply need to give yourself permission to bed down earlier, and this takes practice. As bedtime approaches, start telling yourself, “You’ve done good today, now rest.” A popular suggestion is to get in bed early and read. You might be surprised by how quickly you’re counting sheep.
Do not leave your alarm clock (or phone) within arm’s reach: Your alarm clock can be your best friend or worst enemy. One thing is certain, though—keep it far enough away that it becomes a mindful task to turn it off in the morning. Put it on the other side of the bedroom (or in a different room entirely) and force yourself leave the bed to turn it off. Once it’s off, do not linger in your bedroom. Keep moving.
Some people are night owls and will never be early birds, so remind yourself that there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you’re yearning to make more of your days, then chasing that worm (and eggs and sausage and bacon) is the easiest, most immediate way to do so.
