Waking up early (before 6 AM) has changed my life.

Heck, I even started my own online business. 

It’s amazing what a few extra crispy hours in the morning can do for your productivity, motivation, and workflow.

You’ve probably heard this before, but there are heaps of successful people who swear to an early start. 

Some of these successful people are:

• Tim Cook (Apple CEO)
• J.K Rowling
• Oprah Winfrey
• Michelle Obama

I mean there must be a red thread to all of this, no?

 

 

I Haven’t Always Been A Morning Person

I’m going to be honest, I haven’t always been an early bird.

I used to be in a very serious relationship with my snooze button and sometimes it was a real struggle. 

Why on earth would I get up before the sun and when it was still pitch dark outside?!

That was a valid question, I thought.

Eventually, I caved in – the benefits of waking up early trumped my relationship with the snooze button, and I’m so glad it did. 

Since I started to wake up before 6 AM, my productivity, creativity, and mood have all spiked. 

Let me tell you – when you are running an online business AND still working full time you need all the time you can get. 

Waking up early is a way to sneak in a few extra hours to work on your dreams, goals or side hustle. 

Girl, there are SOOO many benefits of waking up early – just half an hour earlier will do the trick.

And I’m about to share these perks with you now. 

I could write up these benefits indefinitely (because there are countless!).

However, I don’t want to waste your time and you need to start working on your new morning routine rituals, so I’ll just go through my TOP favorite benefits of waking up early. 

 

 

 

 

Why You Should Wake Up Early

Let’s get into those perks already.

But first, here are a couple of related reads about morning routines that you might enjoy next. 

 

Related reads: 

• 18 Simple Things To Do In The Morning To Be More Productive
• 8 Things I Do Before 8 AM To Achieve My Goals
• 14 Time Management Tips That Really Work

 

 

1. You Are More Creative

This is the benefit that speaks the loudest to me.

I am a true creative dreamer and Ms. Creativity comes to visit me in those early hours of the day, more than she ever does in the evenings.

When you wake up, your mind is completely clear and inspiration has a much higher chance of dropping for new ideas to flourish. 

It’s as if we unconsciously produce creative ideas and thoughts in our sleep.
When we wake up, they are right there to greet us. 

This is due to the prefrontal cortex being at its most active state in the morning.

This is the part of the brain linked to setting long term goals, decision making, planning, and self-control. 

I devote the hours in the morning for writing songs, blog posts and whatever else requires deep focus. 

Getting a head start on your day will boost your creativity – so get that computer, pen, notebook or paintbrush out and create something amazing.

Notable authors who wake up early to create:

• Ernest Hemingway
• Maya Angelou
• Barbara Kingsolver

 

 

2. You Are More Mindful

Being more mindful comes naturally with waking up early.

We have those first few hours in complete solitude. 

Embrace the quietness, sit in silence, practice gratitude for a few minutes, and really become aware of yourself and your surroundings. 

Some may say this is corny, but being mindful about your life has amazing benefits (benefits giving benefits, eh?) for your overall health and how you welcome the day. 

 

 

3. You Are Happier 

You will experience more control, satisfaction, productivity and you will be sucking in all the advantages of waking up early.

All of which plays its own part in making you a happier and more content person.

The serotonin builds up and rushes through your body as you finally get to spend the first hours of the day doing something you truly love.

 

 

4. You Become A Champ At Goal Setting & Planning

When you turn into an early riser, you will also (most likely) evolve into a complete goal and planning obsessed maniac, like me.

There’s no way around it.

So, congrats!

Welcome to the club – it’s amazing.

Early risers have their why clearly stated, goals and actions in order, and they know exactly how and what to take action on in the morning. 

There’s really no need to wake up THAT early if you’re just going to stare into space.

Am I right? You need an action plan and a purpose. 

People who wake up early tend to also be very organized in everything they do because they plan ahead.  

 

 

5. Better Self-Discipline

Waking up with the sunrise isn’t always a walk in the park.

It takes a tremendous amount of discipline and willpower to set your alarm clock back to 5 AM and actually following through. 

Fear not, it will get easier over time and it is for sure the hardest in the beginning.

This is because you are breaking your old habits – habits that you’ve clung onto for probably your whole life, and you’re also creating new sleeping patterns.

It can take some time for your body to properly adjust.

Your newfound self-discipline, as a result of your new sleeping cycle, will also seep positively into other areas of your life, like for example your health, diet and work ethic.

Once you get the self-discipline down, you’re on your way. 

You are in charge of making things happen. 

 

 

Waking up early does wonders for your self-discipline and productivity. 

 

 

6. You Will Experience Stress Relief

By allowing yourself a peaceful and quiet start to your day, you are bound to feel less stressed. 

You’ll be getting a head start on your work, body, and mind.

When you wake up early, you tend to make better choices than you would if you snoozed your way to work. 

The choices you make in the morning set the tone for the rest of the day, and if you make good choices, you can significantly reduce stress.

And who here wants to feel less stressed and overwhelmed?

Hello! I hear you and I see you. 

 

 

7. You Will Be More Focused

You will experience more focus and have better concentration.

In addition, you’ll be more alert when you need to be, and especially during peak hours.

When everyone else is slowly dragging themselves to the office, you’ve already had the luxury of pampering yourself with self-care, gone through your to-do list and you’ve also gotten a serious amount of focused work done and out the way. 

Fewer interruptions in the morning = more focused work. 

 

 

8. You Are More Productive

Yes! You knew this one was coming, right?

This is one of my favorite (naturally) benefits of waking up early. 

Your intentions for the morning hours are clear.

Since your tasks for the day are planned so heavily in advance, your mind won’t be playing catch up and you’ll be able to check those to-do’s off in a jiffy. 

I mean, it’s crazy to think about just how much I can get done in 30 minutes in the morning compared to when I would drag out a task for an entire day. 

By waking up earlier, you allow yourself more time to focus on your most important and time-consuming tasks.

Since the rest of the world has yet to wake up, you avoid distractions and can focus on your to-do list without any interruptions.

 

 

9. You Are More Proactive

When you wake up early and make the commitment to yourself, you are in complete charge of your time. 

You’re making things happen for yourself by pushing back your alarm clock a few extra hours. Because of this, you will take massive action and make your dreams come true. 

You’ve never been more proactive as when in the early riser club.

 

 

10. You Will Have Higher Energy Levels

Get your exercising out of the way in the morning.

Alternatively, you can go for a walk around the block. 

This will increase your energy levels and as a result, you’ll feel more energized and focused throughout the day. 

It’s a good idea to get some fresh air shortly after you wake up – rather than hanging out on the couch in the evening and then be stuck in a cubicle all day or wherever you spend your 9-5. 

 

 

11. You Are Solution Oriented

Early riser? Then you are much more likely to be a problem solver.

You anticipate problems and obstacles from miles away and you work efficiently to resolve them.

Solutions come easier to you and this is directly linked back to creativity as I mentioned before. 

If you get a good night sleep and embrace the prefrontal cortex at its most active hours (the morning), you’ll be able to solve problems and find solutions much quicker.

This is why you should always tackle the hardest task first and go from there. 

 

 

Waking up early will improve your sleep quality. 

 

 

12. You Will Sleep Better

Ah yes, finally – what we’re all longing for.

Better sleep. 

If you wake up and go to bed at the same time every day, you’ll be in tune with your earth circadian rhythm – in other words – your body’s natural sleeping cycle. 

You’ll feel more rested because your internal clock is balanced. 

An important note – don’t turn your world upside down and sleep in till noon on the weekends.

This will disrupt your ECR and you’ll have to start all over again on Monday. 

Try and get up at the same time every day, even on Saturdays and Sundays (I know). 

I promise you, it won’t be as bad as you think, and you’ll most likely feel a lot better on the weekend anyway.

Take advantage of the extra time you get on a Saturday, and avoid the drowsiness you feel by sleeping TOO much. 

Enjoy the sleep of your dreams by having a pre-predicted sleeping pattern. 

 

 

Just A Few Tips On How To Wake Up Early

Before you begin your new adventure as an early riser, here are a few tips to help you on your way and to get started. 

• Start slow – Don’t immediately rush to your alarm clock and set it to 5 AM. Start slow and gradually push your alarm back 15 minutes every day until you get to your desired wake up time. There is no need to shock your body, girl. 
• Never snooze – You’ve probably heard this one before (and probably from me). Never ever snooze. If you snooze, you’ll be even more tired. Use Mel Robbin‘s 5-second rule: when your alarm rings, count backward from 5-4-3-2-1 and just get up! You won’t regret it. Snoozing is the worst you can do when you want to improve your sleeping patterns and get up early.
• Have a reason to get up – Get your “why”, goal and passion out of your pocket and onto the morning coffee table. You have to have a reason to get up. There is no sense in getting up early if you don’t have a reason to. Create a plan for your mornings and find something that drives you to wake up before the rooster crows. 
• Invest in a natural light alarm – This can be really helpful during the winter months.
• Put your phone away – Just do it. Put it far away from your bed, or in another room so you’re not tempted to hit that snooze button when it’s time. 

 

 

Before You Go 

I totally get that it’s hard to get started with your 5 AM morning routine.

It’ll be most difficult during the first few weeks until your body fully adjusts to its new sleeping patterns.

Designing a morning routine that supports your dream life is key to manifesting the reality you’re longing for.

I believe in ya girl.

Get up early and make room for your goals and dreams.

You win the morning, you win the day.