Chances are that you're not much of an early riser by nature, because hardly anyone is. Why is that? Well, jobs often extend into the evening or night. After work, you want some time to relax before going to sleep. Before you know it, it's 11 at night. After getting a full 8 hours (or more), it can easily be mid-morning or even later. Often, we only get out of bed when we're hungry, need to empty our bladders, or if we have an obligation, such as work. So if this is your routine, then why change it? There is a reason many top executives and other famous figures like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson wake up before the crack of dawn. It's also often drilled into military personnel because it comes with so many benefits. What follows are the top 5 reasons to wake up early.
If you wake up late for work, class, or hanging out with a friend, you're likely going to be very stressed and rushed. The alternative is always giving yourself time. Have you ever thought about how freeing it would be if you were fully rested but awake two or three hours before you drive to work? You could take a nice shower, spend time reading the paper while eating breakfast, or do whatever you find relaxing. Waking up early can eliminate the anxiety (and brain fog) that comes right after you wake up with your daily morning routine.
Many people who have depression also have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, so this can be sort of a catch-22 situation. However, studies have shown that people, women especially, that wake up early or alter their routines to wake up earlier generally report feeling happier and are less likely to develop anxiety or depression. This by no means is a quick fix that will solve all of your problems, but it doesn't hurt to try. Intuitively, though, this makes sense. It is very relatable that sleep impacts emotions. Whether overslept or overtired, people seem to be more irritable and much easier provoked.
If you're already a night owl that sleeps in late, then shifting your schedule a few hours the other way won't change much. However, most people spend more than the recommended 7-8 hours in their bed on average. Therefore, if your routine changes to sleeping the recommended amount but you wake up earlier, you can have more time to get stuff done or apply it throughout your day to take breaks in between activities. This extra time can be a real life-saver if you ever have periods that feel like all you do is work and sleep. You might be able to add some extra exercise in too.
Maybe it is the mindset it takes to force yourself to wake up early or the extra time, but studies have shown time and time again that morning people tend to do better in the business world. By extension, morning people tend to get paid higher wages, get more promotions, and receive better job reviews. Given two identical candidates, most bosses would hire the early bird over the night owl if they could. So maybe waking up early can literally pay off in the long run.
We often overlook the true beauty that is nature. Any early riser will tell you that sunrises are way better than the sunset. Maybe it is because the world seems more quiet and peaceful, but, there are few other feelings than watching the sun rise while sipping on a hot cup of morning joe. Don't believe it? Try it out for yourself. If you're disappointed, you can find something else to spend your time on, but it seems a safe bet you'll start catching more sunrises.
