Waking up early in the morning has so many benefits. Ninety percent of all executives wake up before 6 am, according to “The Sleep Habits of Millionaires.” And the average amount of sleep required by billionaires ranges from 6 to 8 hours, with the majority leaning towards 4 to 6 hours. There is no secret to success. Numerous studies have shown that waking up early improves concentration and productivity, measured by task performance and accuracy. And it appears that waking up early positively affects the human brain and allows us to increase productivity and self-awareness. However, it is not an easy thing to do. In the modern age, many distractions can derail us from setting up this critical habit. This article will focus on the benefits of waking up early and how it can change our lives forever. I hope that I can convince you to make a habit of change in the next thirty days.
1. Getting things done early.
You will be surprised how much work you can accomplish when you wake up early every day. Our cortisol level is the highest when we wake up in the morning. Cortisol is a stress hormone that is secreted by your adrenal gland. It is a stress hormone similar to epinephrine, responsible for the flight or fight response. It is also responsible for central weight gain and a disease called Cushing’s when it is dysregulated. It improves our concentration and the hunting instinct. Therefore, we have the highest energy to tackle complex tasks in the morning and we tend to make good decisions as an early bird. You can also get a headstart on your day and perform ahead of everyone else! For example, I wake up at 530 every morning and start with the most challenging task. I get my hygiene things done by 6 am and start my work early in the morning. These include writing for my blog, studying for board exams, pre-charting on patients, and answering work-related emails. I often plan my day, so I don’t have to spend the morning thinking about my day. As you can see, just by waking up early, I have already had a headstart on my day and finished most of my work before my 9 to 5 job starts.
2. Develop a habit of discipline.
Waking early also helps you to develop a habit of discipline. It is no doubt that discipline is the cornerstone for success. And it is also something that the new generation may often lack. The first step to becoming more discipline includes automating your life, so you do not experience decision fatigue. Undoubtedly, people who automate their lives tend to be more productive and successful. You want to keep everything organized and in auto-pilot, such as using a calendar and planning your schedule daily. Some people may even want to hire personal assistants, chefs, chauffeurs, etc. But it would be best if you weren’t thinking about those until you have the financial resources to do so. Start your day by making your bed, meditating, and exercising. These are tremendous activities that help you to develop discipline. Remember, building a habit takes an average of 20 days. Start taking back control of your life by making small changes that will make a long-term impact on you in the future.
3. Receiving positive reinforcement.
Positive reinforcement is one of the best things you can do to achieve your goals. By rising early, you can accomplish many tasks before anyone starts their day. By 9 am, you would have completed most of your tasks with no interruption. You can make better decisions in your businesses, education, and life. You can also set the tone of your day and plan for what will happen. Most importantly, there is minimal interruption when you are alone and awake early in the morning. There will be no distractions from phone calls, emails, spouse, dogs, kids, etc. And once you have seen a positive outcome, you will be addicted to this new habit. In the past ten years, I started my blogging journey, made better investment decisions, and studied for medical school. And all of these happened every single morning. I urge you to try to do the same! It changed my life.
4. Waking early leads to less stress and anxiety by improving sleep quality.
When you have a dedicated plan in the morning by waking up early, you will adjust your sleeping schedule to accommodate your positive change. This will lead to better sleep hygiene and sleep quality. Sleep hygiene, such as avoiding caffeinated drinks before bed, blue light screens, and exercise, can help your sleep quality. And by setting an alarm clock to wake up early, you tend to pick better choices the night before and force yourself to have better sleep quality. You can use coffee and exercise as a bridge in the morning to help with sleepiness. You may notice that you feel very fatigued on the first day, but trust me, you will adjust in no time. The cortisol peak is found one hour after you have woken up. So by waking up early, you have plenty of time for your stress hormone to plateau throughout the day. And if you perform exercises and meditation that help with stress. Through time, you will notice that you will have significantly less stress and anxiety with this new habit. This has also been shown to decrease depression and generalized anxiety disorder.
Overall, waking up early in the morning is a recipe for success. There is no right or wrong time to be woken up. Some may want to wake up at 5 am to get the extra benefit. But that is totally up to you. Start putting this into your schedule and try to wake up early to develop the habit of finishing tasks in the morning. You will become more productive and successful. Thank you so much for reading; if you enjoy blog posts like this, please like, comment, and subscribe. Have a great week!
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