How becoming a morning person changed my life?

It’s common knowledge that morning people are widely known to be successful, well-organized, and even great leaders. Becoming a morning person can change your life in the most rewarding ways. Dive into this article to read more about how to make yourself a morning person, or if you are already one, then how to make your mornings extremely productive.

With the rise in remote jobs, freelancing and other categories of work that do not require people to wake up early, there has been an increase in the number of people who stay up at odd night hours and doze off all morning. While some people have unconventional routines and there isn’t much they can do to have a natural sleep schedule, most people stay up at night only to get some “me time” or revenge procrastinate.

Although having leisure time isn’t something to frown upon, there are ways that you can enjoy your free time without having to waste your night hours. I will explain how becoming a morning person changed my life?

What Is a Morning Person?

Morning people, early risers, larks, or early birds all mean the same, people who wake up early so that they can have enough time in the mornings to spend it by their own will, and they also don’t rush things when they are getting late because they had enough time to get things done.

According to an article published by the University of Bolton, biologist Christoph Randler concluded that early birds are generally more proactive, which results in higher productivity levels.

                                                          Are Early Risers More Successful in Business? (Bolton. ac.UK)

Why Should You Be a Morning Person?

When making a major change in your lifestyle, it’s vital to know the merits and demerits of the change you will implement. Waking up early has immense benefits, but you need to pinpoint what positivity it will bring to your life. Long story short, you must find a genuine reason to get up early.

These reasons might be:

1.  You want to get reports done before your morning briefs.
2.  You want to get enough time for yourself before you get your kids ready for school.
3.  You want to meditate first thing in the peaceful morning to start your day well.
4.  You might want to read in tranquil.
5.  You want to work on a side hustle and think that mornings are the ultimate periods where your productivity skyrockets and you do not get distracted.
6.  You must incorporate a quick workout and can’t make time for it later in the day.
7.  You want to listen to podcasts for your self-improvement.
8. You want to avoid procrastination and laziness throughout the day.
9.  You have to clean your house or meal prep
10.  You like to journal first thing in the morning to start your day with gratitude and positive thoughts.
11.  You want to plan your busy days. Other than the above-mentioned reasons, there might be additional causes behind your wanting to become a morning person.
    

     How Becoming a Morning Person Changed My Life?

    
    Advantages of waking up early

    1. Health benefits: Several health benefits are linked with waking up early, making it worth the effort. It is found that individuals awake at sunrise or morning hour are generally more optimistic, satisfied with life, and pleasant compared to people with an unconventional sleep schedule.
    Celine Vetter, a professor of integrative physiology, concludes that there is a definite relationship between mood and sleep schedules.
    Why are morning people happier? (Europa.EU)

    Going to bed early gives you enough time to complete all four-six cycles that make you feel fresh throughout the day. Morning larks also take a good dose of vitamin D as they get enough sunlight exposure. Vitamin D is known to improve mood, which proves that morning larks are happier.

    Sleep also affects your skin; people with irregular sleeping patterns tend to have wrinkles, fine lines, and dark circles. When you wake up early you also have enough time to invest in your skincare routine.

    Additionally, people who are up in the morning hour are considered to be good drivers, and they statistically show fewer ratios of accidents.
    According to a study by Finnish scientists, morning people also select healthier foods throughout the day. They have less chance of obesity or acidity, they eat less sugar, and the reason behind this is that they don’t indulge in late-night snacks and coffee. www.menshealth.com

    2. Productivity: If you work till late at night but still fall behind in creativity and the ability to get things done, you might want to reevaluate your sleep. Staying up at odd hours can lower your productivity levels because of how much exhaustion it causes.

    Although there’s no definite spectrum to measure success, morning people have a higher chance of being promoted and appreciated and winning higher-level jobs because of their well-rested minds and maximum productivity in the early hours. In general, starting the day early is a habit of successful people.

    Prominent personalities like Apple CEO Tim Cook, Michelle Obama, Sergio Marchionne, and Richard Branson are all early birds which says a lot about their success.
    As the saying goes,

    “the early bird catches the worm.”

    3. Lifestyle Sleep cycle greatly affects your lifestyle. This is because when you have the added time in the mornings, it leads to developing a set of positive habits that add up positively. Early birds are known to be healthier, more efficient, and more enjoyable to be around; At the same time, all these qualities may have different factors behind them, but their qualities are influenced by their waking up early, having more time to think, not rushing things, and taking it one day at a time.

    Many people around you seem to have a much put-together life. They go to the gym, and have excellent eating habits; you see them thriving in life. No, there isn’t any over-the-top thing they do to seem to have a wholesome living. They might wake up early, have a nutritious breakfast, and invest enough time in themselves, and that’s pretty much it for their clean living.

    4. Mental health: Your body has a natural clock that determines the times you sleep and wake up. When you force yourself to work against it, you make yourself more exhausted, miserable, and even depressed. So all those night working may have a toll on your mental health.

    According to studies by experts at the University of Exeter, morning people are less likely to develop depression and schizophrenia
    Psychiatry.org –Are There Mental Health Benefits to Being a Morning Person?

    Another research published in the Journal of Psychiatric shows that women who slept more traditionally were less likely to be anxious and had better mental health than night owls.
    Some experts also conclude that morning birds receive more social support and have better relationships with people, which affects their mood and sleep positively.

    All in all, happiness and great mental health do not entirely depend upon what time you wake up, but science supports the thought that morning birds are happier and more satisfied with life.

    Coming towards how you can transition towards waking up early, you must realize that some things are genetic; if your chronotype indicates that you are one of those who sleep late and, in turn, wake up late, there isn’t much that you can do to change that. Your body rhythms and circadian cycle all play a major role in determining your sleep cycle.

    After you are completely sure that you can become a morning person and have no genetic makeup that goes against it, you should work to change your habits. if you go against your internal nature, you might harm yourself and do no good.

    How I Became a Morning Person?

    
    1. Determine Your Ideal Wake-Up Time

    Decide first what time you want to wake up each morning. Before giving yourself a deadline of sleep hours, consider your schedule, responsibilities, your working hours, and how much sleep you need to feel well-rested. Calculate your sleep duration for optimal sleep. Setting multiple alarms will help you in the early days. Do not forget to limit snoozing.

    2. Sleeping early

    Well, that’s obvious you can’t sleep at 3 am and expect to be up by dawn. It would help if you slept early to wake up early. It’s not something that will happen in a day. It would help if you were patient and had consistent habits. Take a practical approach by sleeping 8 hours before waking up.

     

    Keeping your shades slightly open during the night so that when you wake up, the darkness does not persuade you to ignore your alarm and stay in bed. Stay consistent in sleeping and waking up so that this constant pattern embeds in your routine.

    3. A 30-day wakeup challenge

    This is one of the most rewarding things to do if you want to shift your routine. The 30-day wakeup challenge is as simple as it sounds; for a month, you are going to wake up at a designated time so that after doing this for some time, your body clock wakes you up around that time without the need for any alarm as well. All you can do is set some reason to wake up early as a challenge. This will put your body in a custom.

    Plan an enjoyable morning routine that motivates you to get out of bed. This could include exercise, meditation, reading, or having a healthy breakfast. Furthermore, it would help if you formed a habit, so the 30 day wakeup challenge is perfect. As we know consistency is the key. This rule will work for you in these 30 day challenge.

     

    3. Avoid blue light.

    Blue light wavelength has a powerful effect on our alertness and sharpness. Blue light can greatly increase your mental sharpness; too much of it at night can make you awake when your body needs to wind down. That’s why you need to put your phone down at least 30 minutes before bed and, for that matter, any screens. Moreover, red light has the least effect on your circadian rhythm, so it may be helpful at night.

    4. Avoid heavy meals.
    

    When you’re up at night reviewing some reports, finishing a deadline, or even watching TV, you may get hungry, have a craving, and eat heavily. While this doesn’t sound bad once in a blue moon but in the long run, it can cause obesity, and you may even develop heart issues. Overeating at night messes up your digestion and causes heartburn. You must avoid heavy meals at night shortly before bed and start having dinner early.

    5. Start small, and don’t be too hard on yourself.

    All great things take time. Do not rush things to get momentary satisfaction. When you want to change something from within, you need to start small, make small changes that add up at the end, and have what you want. It’s important not to be too hard on yourself and push yourself beyond the limits. Stay positive, be consistent, and make small changes. This applies to all things in life that you want to accomplish

    6. Take melatonin/ essential oils.

    It may sound over the top, but it might be highly beneficial. Essential oils like lavender oil can help trigger melatonin, reduce heart rate, and aid in relaxation. A few drops of it on your pillow can surely help loads.

    
    Bottom line

    Waking up early and becoming a morning person can change your life for all the right reasons. You might want to transition for any reason a job opportunity, self-improvement, and a partner, or just because you want to. There’s no definite plan to stick to whatever works for you. Go for that. Whenever you try something new, you must be consistent and be sure why you want to do it.

    Being a morning person is highly rewarding; you see a positive change in your mental and physical health, productivity, and lifestyle. If your chronotype indicates that you are a night owl, there isn’t much that you can do; instead, you should find a way to work well with your body nature.

    To conclude, becoming a morning person changed my life and can surely change yours too. Be brave enough to implement changes, and you’ll see your life getting better.