Catch the worm and wake up early

I have been talking about waking up early on repeat for a while now. It's because I have FINALLY discovered a way to get my own a** out of bed and it has made me feel like a million bucks.

For a very long time, waking up early was a big no. I couldn't think of anything worse. I had no motivation to get up, I snoozed over and over again and made excuses (in my sleep) as to why it's okay to stay in bed and wake up just in time to get to work. Maybe it's all the traumatising alarms I had to go through as a child - but hey I am not the only one. About a month ago I woke at 6am and got to the gym before work every day that week and I was feeling fiiiiiine. I suddenly found the joy in it, the motivation and totally saw the value in doing it. I work a 9-5 job, I am working on launching a business and a side hustle, I like my friends and want to see them weekly and now planning the next chapter of my life. I have a lot on my plate and I like to give everything the attention it deserves. Waking up just before 6am and getting my workout done in the morning is not only allowing me to feel refreshed, accomplished, good about myself but also allows me to be able to do all the above in my evenings.

Below are 3 reasons why waking up early can help make you happier and healthier:

1. Commitment to fitness:

The earlier you wake up, the more likely you are to be active and maintain a regular exercise schedule AND exercising releases endorphins so you get to start your day feeling great! Research has shown that early risers get more exercise than late-sleepers. Night-owls tend to make excuses more easily as to why they should sleep in and it’s been shown that they wake up 2 hours later than early-birds. I used to be one of these night-owls and waking up an hour earlier used to feel like waking up 3 hours earlier.

2. Having a healthier diet:

There’s an Arabic saying that translates into something like “ sleep early, wake up early and see how amazing your health will be” and it’s true! Research has shown that those who wake up early tend to stick to healthier diets which in turn reduces the risk of developing depression. It makes perfect sense, right?

The more time you spend in bed in the morning, the less time you have to make and eat a nutritious breakfast. Studies have actually shown that late-sleepers eat 250 calories more per day than those who wake up early, that’s 7000 calories extra per month, which is about 1 kg gained per month!

3. Sleeping better and more:

Early birds tend to toss and turn less than those who sleep late and wake up late. Why? Well they sleep earlier, they have more regular sleeping patterns so they wake up feeling refreshed and happier. Shockingly early birds are also less sleepy during the day.

The bottom line is yes waking up early is great for your overall health, happiness and productivity however one thing I feel I need to point out is do not force yourself to wake up by setting 20 alarms and snoozing them all. Doing this will only disrupt your sleep and you’ll stay in bed anyway ending up with the opposite result.

Start small and slow, start by one day a week and every week add another day.
Let the sun come into your room, it will help you wake up more easily.
Make sure you sleep at a decent time to not deprive yourself from sleep and end up feeling tired and counteracting the results you want.
Prepare your bag the night before for the gym and for work, it will avoid you running like a maniac in the morning.
Also prepare your breakfast and lunch the night before!