Wakey Wakey, Rise and Shine! The benefits of waking up early. Waking up early has something magical. The fresh smell of the air in the morning, the fresh breeze in your face and the silence, makes it that way. It gives you a feeling of freedom and freshness. If you would tell me a year ago to wake up every morning at 6.30am, I would kindly decline and think ‘you crazy, that is still night time for me’. Now, it is a different story. For sure, it is still hard to get out of my lovely bed, but when I step out of my building and breath the fresh air, feel the fresh breeze and enjoy the silence, I experience this inner joy and peace that feels magical. And as I am such a sharing person, it is time for me to convince you to try it too!
Wakey Wakey, Rise and Shine! Let’s start with explaining the benefits of waking up early.
- If you wake up early you get more hours in a day. This means that you can take your time to wake up stress-free, create a relaxed morning routine and start your working day with fewer distractions. No rush and no stress, taking your time and enjoying getting more done in a day.
- If you wake up early you have time to exercise. By working out in the morning you wake up every cell in your body. This will make you feel more energized and will make you take on the day with a great kick-start. Exercising in the morning also stimulates your brain and your ability to think. Your productivity will increase.
- If you wake up early you will eat healthier as you will eat breakfast and not skip it anymore. Often when we wake up late, we skip breakfast and by the time it is lunch we are starving. This has the consequence that we overeat during lunch what resolves in the well-known food coma after lunch. We have no energy anymore and we want to go straight back to bed. When you wake up early this is not the case anymore. You will have your 3 meals a day at a consistent time and energy will be released slowly when not overeating. Your meals will be well divided throughout the day with a relaxed breakfast, a healthy lunch and a nice, clean dinner.
- If you wake up early you will sleep better. Of course, when you wake up early you have to go to sleep early. You will be feeling sleepy sooner and your body would want to go to sleep, because it will feel physically tired, especially when you exercise on top of waking up early. Make sure you create a nice, relaxed evening routine to bring you in a Zen mood before going to sleep. No electronic devices 30 minutes before going to sleep and minimum of light whilst reading a book.
- If you wake up early you will feel happier and you will enjoy life more. We can conclude this from the last 4 points above. Waking up early gives you more hours in a day that resolves into being stress-free, more relaxed, less distracted and provides you with more enjoyment. It gives you the time to exercise what resolves into feeling more energized and the ability to kick-start the day stimulating your brain and being more productive. It also makes you eat healthier what will lead to weight loss and overall health. You will sleep better, because you will feel more relaxed and feel more Zen before falling asleep.
Overall we can conclude that waking up early has but benefits for you. So why not try it yourself? Now, how to get up early is a different story (see my blog: What’s it going to be? Go for your GOALS or SNOOZE your life away?). This needs discipline and willpower. But with everything stated above…how could you not try at least? Because don’t forget: EARLY MORNING = HAPPY YOU!
Maitha E. Coninx – Life Coach and writer of the book Maitha’s Way Of Life.
Maitha’s Way Of Life, a 12-Week Program to a more Happy, Fulfilled and Colorful Lifestyle!