Routinely waking up early every morning is a better lifestyle to adapt because it invites significant benefits and waking up early has positive effects including improved productivity, better mental and physical health.
People have debated the perks of starting your day early versus sleeping in and staying up later for years.
In most cases, this debate is an all or nothing situation.
You’re either an early riser or a night owl, but many studies have shown starting your day earlier can improve your life in various aspects.
University of Education in Heidelberg, Germany professor Christoph Randler surveyed 367 university students and found early risers were more proactive and better equipped for success.
“My earlier research showed that they tend to get better grades in school, which get them into better colleges, which then lead to better job opportunities,” Randler said.
This is because waking up early can improve overall day-to-day productivity.
“Starting your day early improves your concentration in addition to being able to focus on goals and task lists without being interrupted,” according to a June 8, 2020 article on SleepAdvisor.org, a blog on sleep products and wellness.
Waking up earlier gives you more time to situate yourself, set the tone for the day and complete any outstanding tasks that would otherwise create stress later in the afternoon.
Studies have shown waking up early can significantly relieve mental stress.
A Jan. 29, 2019 study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications links a person’s mental health to when they wake up.
Researchers from the study found that early risers tend to have less mental stress because of their circadian rhythm, the body’s natural alarm clock.
People who wake up early also have improved physical health.
“Being genetically programmed to rise early may lead to greater well-being and a lower risk of schizophrenia and depression,” explains a Jan. 29 2019, Harvard Gazette article.
If you asked me a year ago if I was an early bird or a night owl, I would’ve confidently said a night owl.
For most of my life, I felt I was most productive at night. I took care of my tasks at that time so I wouldn’t have to wake up and worry about anything in the morning.
Though my colleague’s argument supports that point, I looked to successful people in our society and decided to take tips from them.
A June 2017 USA Today article found many notable and successful people are early risers.
Some of these individuals who start their days early include: Tim Armstrong, the CEO of AOL; Ursula Burns, the CEO of Veon; Indra Nooyi, the CEO of PepsiCo; and Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks.
If being an early riser means my personal and professional life will be improved, then I’ll also gladly wake up at the crack of dawn.
