Benefits of Waking Up Early

I have the option of 'sleeping in' until 7 am most mornings.  If I am really lucky, 7:30.  I say 'sleep in' because to many of  you this may not sound like sleeping in.  To me, it is definitely sleeping in.  However, most days I chose to not take the sleeping in option.

When I do chose to sleep in until 7 am my day usually begins with frustration, anxiety, grogginess, and simply that feeling of 'blah'. Yes I may have gotten an extra hour of sleep, so you would think that should give me more energy and awareness for my day.  Surprisingly, it does the opposite.

So, I choose (most mornings) to wake up at 6 am.  My alarm goes off, I allow myself a few minutes of dozing, and then I am up to get ready for the day.  On these days, I feel motivated, I am more productive, and I am filled with more energy.


Waking up early truly does affect your days in a positive way.  Here are three main reasons why:

1. No Rush - Starting your day in a rush sets the tone for the whole day.  That feeling of being behind can begin before you even wake up if you chose to sleep in.  Waking up early (or on time) allows you to gradually get into your day with purpose.  You chose to wake up for more of a purpose rather than being dragged out of bed simply because of the time.  This mere fact will give you a new perspective for the day.

2.  Time For Yourself - There is a high chance that you will  have even just a 'smidget' of time for yourself if you chose to wake up earlier.  Instead of using that time to sleep you can use that time for activities that fill you up.  It is so important to take time for these type of activities before giving yourself to your work or your kids all day long.  Working on YOU first is important so that you can give your all to your responsibilities and tasks for the day.

3.  You Slept Enough - Many of you may say this isn't true, and if it isn't I strongly encourage you to think about an earlier bedtime.  Often though, this can become an excuse.  I myself will try to excuse myself from waking up at 6 am because I didn't sleep very well at night.  Instead I am working on forcing myself to get up either way, and if I really did not sleep enough, allow myself to lay down for a nap later in the day.  Sticking to my guns with waking up early gives me a set routine for each day no matter what - allowing me to be productive and focused.  To give in to that temptation of sleeping in (even for just a half hour more) brings me out of the groove and slowly sets me up for bad habits again.

To you, waking up early might be 7 am.  Or it might be 5 am.  Whatever it is, work on pushing yourself to get to the point of waking up early every day.

***If you are really struggling with this or would simply like more encouragement in this area I would encourage you to think about taking this 14-day course with Crystal Paine: Make Over Your Mornings .  It will help you with setting up a good routine for starting your days.



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