Are you a morning person, or a night owl?
Being the prior is better for your health and beneficial for productivity. Waking up early causes your brain activity to peak around 9 am, while a night owl brain doesn’t peak until 9 pm! If you’re a freelancer, doctor/nurse, or have crazy work hours, that works for you. However, if you function on a normal schedule, waking early is clearly better!
From an emotional level, it’s proven harmful to stay up late. Night owls usually have decreased connectivity of white matter inside their brain, which is a physiological symptom related to depression!
The difficulty of changing from an owl to an early bird is not beyond me, but you have to keep in mind what’s best for your schedule. I begrudgingly realized that it was time for me to become an early bird for my working girl lifestyle. My past self would be shocked and impressed at my successful transformation.
Not only are there health benefits for this, but also increased productivity! When I wake up early, I get so much more done! You could say it’s the quiet before the storm. It’s my time that I enjoy getting work done and appreciating that calm feeling and stillness of the morning. Nothing can get in my way but the task at hand. And of course, uninterrupted coffee adoration.
I’ll be honest with you, it wasn’t easy to make the change. But so worth it! Here are some tips that drastically helped me in making the switch.
5 Tips to Help You Wake Up and Go to Bed Early
**First and foremost, go to bed at a decent hour. I’m not adding this in my list because I feel it’s a no brainer! Duh.
1. Have a cold glass of water next to your bed. Chug it right when you wake up to let your body know it’s time to start moving.
2. Make your bedroom your safe haven, your sleepy time cozy oasis, complete with 15 throw pillows. Avoid doing work in your bedroom. I know it’s hard when all you want to do is be cozy in your bed but have something to work on with your computer. Fight the urge. Your brain should register your bedroom as a comforting place. This way you sleep better, leaving you better rested to rise early.
3. Exercise earns yet another big golden star. Exercising before 7 am is proven to lower your blood pressure throughout the day. Meaning, it’s also easier to fall asleep at night.
4. Don’t eat foods that are difficult to digest before bed. Steer clear from animal proteins and gluten for at least 4 hours before bed.
5. Set a goal for something that you will complete in the morning. It’s easy to sleep in whenever you don’t have a definite task you need to complete. “I have work to do in the morning that would be great to have completed before 8:30” vs “I need to complete one blog post and one challenging email before 8:30.”
