Do you love to sleep in late or are you an early riser? Back in the day, before kids, in college I was a total night owl. I would stay up until all hours of the night and sleep in as late as I could. I look back and see how unhealthy and even unproductive this was! College was the beginning of all my bad habits that slowly ruined my health, but it was all a learning experience for which I really am grateful for.
These days now that I am a mother of 3 I realize just how beneficial it is to wake up early, before my kids. I didn’t start this until my oldest entered kindergarten. I should have began this wonderful habit even earlier but we live and we learn, right?
Now I can hardly handle it if I wake up after my kids. I NEED that time in the morning to get started and have a minute to myself. If you don’t do it already I highly recommend waking up earlier to give yourself some “me time” before the day gets off and running.
Waking up early definitely has many benefits, I’ve outlined below 5 ways YOUR life will be positively influenced if you start waking up early.
5 Benefits Of Rising Early
1. Solitude and Serenity: Some of us like to stay up late once the house gets quiet. I used to, but I realized that my time is better spent if I spend that time in the morning. In the morning you can read scripture, pray, say daily affirmations, get some work and writing done and much more.
Getting to sleep earlier and waking up earlier actually allows you to get more restorative sleep than if you go to bed late and sleep in late. In the evening after a long day of wrangling kids, doing errands, cooking meals, cleaning house, working and more I feel a little burnt out! In the morning, on the other hand, we can wake up feeling refreshed and get something productive done.
2. Set Goals: First thing in the morning is a great time to think about what we want/need to get done during the day. Make your to do list and reflect on your goals, check in and see where you’re at. Are you ahead of schedule or behind? What can you do to get back on track. The quiet of the morning is the perfect time to do this.
3. Breakfast: Waking up early ensures that you get a decent breakfast every day. Breakfast is so important to keep your metabolism going and keep your energy levels up. Check out these great unprocessed cereal free options. You can also make a delicious green smoothie!
4. Productivity: Waking up early also helps you to be more productive. When you wake up before your family you’re working ahead rather than always trying to play catch up. When you wake up late you may or may not have time to shower, you scramble around trying to get everyone off to school and you start in on the dishes, making beds and all that and you look down and realize you’re still in your jammies. Ugh. It’s hard to get things done when you’re not dressed for success.
5. Less Anxiety: When you wake up early you can have plenty of time to get where you need to go. Instead of rushing and yelling and trying to get the kids going you can work calmly with them to get them ready and out the door. Rushing is not a fun feeling. It creates stress in your whole family. Leave time to dress yourself before your kids awake and then you can fully focus on them and their needs. It makes all the difference!
Hey Hannah, I loved the portion on less anxiety. I have struggled massively with anxiety and one of the key things I did to reduce it was by waking up early.