5 Ways Getting Up Early Serves Your Wellbeing
I’m sure we have all at some point complained about getting up early and wanting to sleep more. Although rest is important and you might be thinking sleeping as long as you can is best, it is not always the case.
It can actually be more beneficial for our mental, physical, and emotional health to be early risers. This may seem crazy but seriously setting ourselves an early alarm call each day can really make positive changes in our lives.
- The Emotional And Psychological Importance Of Routine
Psychologist Mariana Plata says that an organized routine can be important in helping manage a number of psychological issues. This can include disorders such as depression, addiction and anxiety which can all benefit from finding order. Obviously, a well-ordered life is more than just getting sleep but rest is vital in ensuring mental strength. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-gen-y-psy/201810/the-power-routines-in-your-mental-health).
The Mayo Clinic suggests one of the first steps in getting better sleep in general is to set a schedule. They suggest setting aside no more than 8 hours for sleeping and going to bed at the same time each night. When you go to bed at the same time you can then easily aim to wake at the same time which should preferably be early. Good sleep and a structured “early to bed early to rise” attitude can be very beneficial for our mental health. (https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep/art-20048379).
- Time For Healthy Eating And Exercise
When we wake up early allowing ourselves more free time before our work day begins, we afford ourselves some quality time. After we wake up, we are at our peak level of rest which means that we are best prepared to concentrate on making healthy choices.
We will have time to make a healthy breakfast rather than grabbing unhealthy drive-thru on the way to work. This sets us up better for the day and inspires us to eat healthier throughout the day.
Extra time in the morning also gives us time to do a short workout. This could include a morning walk/run, yoga, aerobics, or some other activity. Adding physical activity into your morning becomes like a habit and can greatly improve your health.
- Reduction In Stress
We’ve all been there, running late for work, trying to get everything together and wishing we had gotten up earlier. It can be immensely stressful and leave us feeling on the back foot the whole rest of the day. The simplest answer to avoid this panic induced stress is to give ourselves more time in the morning.
Set your alarm to give you 1-2 extra hours in the morning. This will allow you time to eat breakfast slowly, workout, relax and prepare for your day. With this extra time, you can handle issues that arise in a calm manner and as a result feel less stressed and rushed.
- Improves Concentration
Psychologist Neel Burton M.D. suggests that a restful night’s sleep can be beneficial for boosting our concentration and memory power. This is because our brains, like our muscles, can become fatigued and do require adequate rest. So, when we get good rest and rise early, we give ourselves ample time to reach peak concentration levels before we start the important part of the day.
- Improves Productivity
As the day progresses and we become tired we tend to do less. This often means that after our work day we have less energy to get things done. The simple answer to this is starting our day earlier allowing us to complete tasks that would perhaps go uncompleted if we waited until the end of the day. Our lives are made easier by getting up earlier and getting more things achieved.