Are you looking for some inspiration to help you rise earlier? Although there may be no confirmed health benefits associated with early rising, this practice can benefit you in numerous other ways:
1. Early rising allows you to greet the day. Being able to say “good morning” to the morning can have a profoundly positive impact on your day. Say a morning prayer, be grateful for everything you have in your life, take a few deep breaths, and prepare for your day.
* Rising early gives you time to move slowly and really appreciate your life, instead of getting up in a rush. This is your own time. You can do a little light reading or a blissful workout while the rest of the world is asleep. In the morning, you can take the time to focus on yourself and your priorities.
2. Early rising gives you a jump-start. Why roll out of bed, perpetually behind schedule, and then start rushing to prepare yourself and your family for a long day ahead? Instead, you can give yourself a much nicer start to the day.
* A renewing morning ritual will allow you to get much more done before 9:00am. By the time your work colleagues come in to the office, you’ll already have a feeling of accomplishment.
3. Early rising allows you to experience the sunrise. Waking up after sunrise every day means that you miss one of nature’s greatest feats. Imagine sipping tea on your front porch or in front of a big window, watching as the sky slowly brightens and the day comes to life. This alone may be reason enough to wake before sunrise every day.
* If you need some motivation, vow to get up to see the sun rise just once this week. You may be so moved by the colors, sounds, and cool air that you vow to experience sunrises every week, maybe even every day.
4. Early rising allows you to enjoy a healthy breakfast. Rising early means that you’ll actually have time to sit down for breakfast. Breakfast is an important part of hitting the ground running, as it gives you energy to keep you going and keeps you fueled until lunchtime. It has also been shown that people who eat breakfast tend to be slimmer than those who don’t.
* Imagine having the time to slow down and enjoy breakfast while reading a book, browsing through the newspaper, watching the morning news, or drinking your morning coffee. These moments of relaxation may be reason enough to get up earlier.
5. Early rising facilitates the experience of a more productive day. As half the world is still asleep, there’s plenty that you can achieve in your morning routine. Get a jump on your to-do list and benefit from the boosts in productivity that you can experience when you wake up earlier than normal.
* You might even pencil in specific to-do list items for early mornings – little things that you can accomplish more easily when nobody else is around, such as prepping lunches for your family or even catching up on bills.
These are just some of the benefits that rising early can afford you. If you need more motivation and inspiration, try giving early rising a chance for a week or two and reflect on how you feel. Waking early in the morning isn’t for everyone, but it may be just what you need to be more effective in everything you do.
