From an OWL to a RABBIT – blessings of waking up early!
John Paul Manickam
Corporate Security Leader & a Criminologist; I get people HIRED during my off day; a Mentor, Content Creator and a Passionate Academician.
39 days ago I decided that I was going to start waking up early in the morning. There was just one problem…I wasn’t a morning person. For years I had my Dad tell me about the blessings he had from waking up early. How he had more time with God, his productivity, less hurried and how it feels to have a grip on the day.
But something would always come up…
- I would stay up too late glued to my television or laptop or mobile device.
- I would convince myself that I really needed ‘extra’ sleep for an important day.
- The snooze button was just too damn tempting.
- My bed was too warm and cozy.
And on and on and on…and I would inevitably find a way to waking up whenever I felt like it. So what changed?
How did I go from a guy who had a life of an OWL … to someone who wakes up at 5am each morning now? – On 12th June, I missed a routine for the day and the divine Angel grabbed my collar and shook my world upside down. All of nature – the sun, the moon, the tides follow a rhythm. Each of these things rise and fall with their own divine cadence.
No matter how many hours we sleep, waking up at 7,8,9 or 10am is hard. We feel sluggish & weighted to the bed. It takes an hour or two to wakeup even after rising and we spend the whole day trying to catch up. On the other hand, when we rise before the sun, we wake up feeling light, mobile and energized. It’s easy to throw off the covers & simply get up. The early morning window (3-6am) is governed by the butterfly energy.
Now I know the thought of rising early can send shivers down the spines of most night-owls reading my experience. I know that the warning bells start ringing and the internal censor shouts, “I could never wake up that early!”. I get that & I also understand the biology–your blood sugar levels are at their lowest in the morning, which makes many people groggy and lethargic.
So I won’t go so far as to say early-rising is objectively the best way to go. But if you can muster the will, if you can train your body and conquer your mental resistance, the benefits are incredible. I’ve only been doing this for close to 40 days now, but I’ve already decided to make it a lifelong habit.
See if the below ideas helps you;
Start Slow: The idea here is to make waking up early a part of your day that you don’t absolutely hate and that will be sustainable. So if you normally wake up each day at 7am but your goal is to start waking up at 5am, then you work up to that target time with a schedule like starting the 1st week by 0630am and in the next 4 weeks take it up to 5am, gradually reducing 30 mins per week. Doing it this way is manageable and you’re not dramatically altering your schedule and your building on small wins each week.
Have a Plan: You want to have something to look forward to in the morning. Something that is going to motivate you to get to bed on time and make you want to get out of bed next morning. When I go to sleep at night, I know exactly what I am going to be doing for the first hour of every morning – it can be anything that you love to do. It sounds extremely cheesy, but if you want to wake up earlier, you’ve got to really want it.
Don’t be afraid to tweak - Once you’ve worked up to your optimal time to wake up (and only you can be the one to determine this or not your friends), it’s time to start getting the most out of your “extra” time. I have one simple suggestion for you…Do things that are going to put you in a better “state”. A better state of mind, body and soul. Here are a bunch of suggestions and things that I have tried:
Pray or mediate; Go for a walk; Work Out; Run; Plan out your day; Watch a motivational video on YouTube or Read / Write something...
A prayerful and productive morning gives me a sense of accomplishment that I can carry with me throughout the day, no matter what else may go wrong.
Exercising in the morning is just the opposite. Raising your heart rate and moving your body starts your day with spring and vivacity. In my own experience, I have much more energy during the days I work out, especially in the early afternoon when I otherwise begin to fade.
Don’t forget the point - Waking up early isn’t way to show how great you are as a person. It’s simply a tool that allows you to start your day in a positive, with more intent. It gives you time to focus on you so that you can set yourself up for a successful day mentally, physically and emotionally.
Don’t burden yourself with the thought “I HAVE to wake up at 5am tomorrow.” Always say this: “I GET to wake up at 5am tomorrow!
Finally, even the obsessed and highly disciplined can fall victim to the perfect storm of life’s problems. Prepare for this by having a back-up: an accountability partner (I have one) to carry you through those tough times.
By waking up early, intentionally and immediately taking action — I’m able to quiet and eventually defeat these morning demons.
Why don’t you start waking up just 15 mins earlier tomorrow than your daily normal time, start being your change!
And you know what – I bet you can do it!
Branch Head
6 年It's risk but it can be achievable It's risk but it will be pouring positive attitude It's risk but it will make u raise the bar It's risk but it will sculpture Ur future It's risk but it willl change Ur approach It's risk but it will add Ur time Finally it's is risk we born into this world by facing the risk....so take the risk and move to face the next risk