“Early to bed and early to rise makes you healthy, wealthy and wise” – Ben Franklin
Being an adult comes with its fair share of responsibilities. Add building a business, side hustle, family, self-mastery or all of the above, and we are going to need all the health, wealth and wisdom we can muster. For me, it starts with mornings…early mornings.
Here are a few golden reasons why I decided to quit the snooze and rise with the sun.
1. The first hour of your day rules the following 23.
Energy equals willpower — and you only have so much at a given time. The more you use to recover from an alarm-didn’t-go-off morning, the less you have throughout the day for concentrating on the important stuff — keeping emotional balance and your sh*t together when the day throws you curve balls.
I find that giving myself the extra time to prepare mindfully in the morning, with a habitual routine, cultivates a positive and proactive flow state. This radiates throughout the day and calms me at night.
2. You stop dreaming and start doing.
You know that book, blog, hobby or podcast you dream to make a reality, but can’t find the time? Mornings are where it’s at, they are filled with an air of freshness, and vitality that can be used to fuel creative thinking and productivity. Not only do you make better decisions at dawn, waking up just 1 hour earlier will add 365 hours to your life yearly!
3. Time to yourself
We live in a world that never stops talking, constantly dodging distractions. Giving yourself solo time is essential to your wellbeing and relationships, it keeps you centered and emotionally balanced. The silence provides space to channel your inner compass and make choices without any outside influences. Reflecting on your goals, progress and future plans. I like to use this time to meditate, read, workout, write, sip a cacao. Filling your cup up first will help you to show up as your best self for others.
4. Improves sleep quality
Waking up early means going to bed early and keeping to regular sleep and wake times. This is what your body’s internal clock naturally encourages. We are made to calm down at dusk, sleep when it’s dark and awake with the sun. So if you’re early to bed and early to rise, your body will be more in tune with Earth’s circadian rhythms and gift you with the delights of restorative sleep.
Like any holistic lifestyle change, we need to make it a habit. This means a 21-day commitment to yourself. Take it slow at the beginning by waking up 20 mins earlier until you reach your desired wake time. Don’t forget to be well rested, rising early means going to bed early, Netflix should not be asking “Are you still watching” at midnight. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep and remove “snooze” from your vocab.