By TSG
14/10/2020
No doubt, that climbing out of bed on a frosty February morning can sometimes be the most difficult task of the day, and getting up early seems almost impossible, with that snooze button becoming your best friend for 20 minutes or so. But what if I told you that if you wake early each workday, you will have more energy, you will take less time performing tasks, and you will be more adept in taking better overall decisions, leading to higher productivity levels and less stress.
Before I start, I need to point out that waking up early also ties in with going to bed earlier, if you don’t get those 6-8 hours’ sleep, then you will not benefit from waking up early, in-fact, you will reduce productivity and increase stress levels, so you need to utilise the time effectively, waking up early and wasting it as you walk around like a zombie is no good for anyone, in that case you would be better to get some extra sleep, because a rested mind is always more prepared for what the day brings.
Hal Erod from the Miracle Morning said; “Wake up early every day so that while others are dreaming, you can make your dreams come true.” The Miracle Morning is a fantastic read, I really recommend it if you have the chance.
When we get up early, we are not looking to get more hours in, we are looking to maximise our time so we can get more done and be better prepared, by doing this we will regain what was wasted time, which we can then put to achieving our work or personal goals. Here are some benefits that we can achieve by getting up earlier.
Less stressed
Less of a rush, means less stress which is a significant benefit of waking early. Already you will be starting your day the best way with optimism running high, such positivity can often stay with you for the rest of the day.
More productive
Whilst everyone is rushing off to the office, being an early riser puts you many steps ahead of everyone else who is rushing to the office. The early riser has it all under control. Waking up early, means time to be organised, and less time wasted on making bad decisions, and whilst everyone else is complaining about their disorganised morning, you are powering into your work.
Positive attitude
When you get up early, you gain a self-believe that you are being more productive as it instils positivity within you. And research does seem to suggest that not only are early risers more positive, but they are generally happier, not for a short time either but overall, in life.
Sleep better
The most effective early risers are the ones that go to bed earlier and both go hand in hand, you must get enough sleep to benefit by waking early, this needs to form part of your life ‘template’, and once you have established this routine, sleep quality will be much better for you and will help your brain’s ability in the morning to problem solve.
Time for food
When we get up early, we have time to eat and enjoy breakfast, rushing to work with a croissant in your hand, a cup of coffee and your work bag really isn’t going to give you the energy or focus that you need to have a productive day. More time in the morning, means time to make good choices about your breakfast, which will help to make you productive.
Here is a final thought; we do not need more than 8 hours sleep per night, for me its somewhere between 6 and 7, and I allow myself an extra hour in bed at the weekends. Don’t stay in bed any longer than your body needs, just think of this, if you can get up an hour earlier each day, you would gain 15 days in a year, and by getting up earlier by one hour, counts for double when you go to bed earlier, because rather than winding down, you are gearing up to start your day, you will not be productive between 2230 and 2330 so move the clock back and gain that extra hour of productivity in the morning.
If you would like to utilise your extra time in the morning, join me for an early morning coffee and a chat, you can get in touch with me at [email protected]
