There are different types of people in the world, and for different circumstances, there are those who wake up near noon and those who rise before the sun. Though it is an extremely hard habit to form, spring is a natural time to reset, and we need to think about whether the outcomes outweigh the struggle.
Make Space for Time That’s Truly Yours
Being an early riser comes with benefits no matter what you do with the extra time. Have work at 9 and wake up at 8? You feel rushed leaving the house; your hair isn’t how you intended because you had to prioritize that morning coffee run. Get home so late that all you can think about is sleep? When do you have time for yourself, truly yours, to be alone with your thoughts?
Whether you need that time to prep your lunch, lay out a few things for the day or simply sit on the couch and mentally prepare for what’s ahead, it belongs to you. Just because you’re rising before the sun doesn’t mean you need to clean the entire house and run a 5K, though you may start to want to as you get accustomed to early mornings. You are allowed to wake up, make some coffee and sit with it for an hour if you please.
Clear the Mental Clutter
Aside from personal time, early rising may be beneficial for more important reasons. For those struggling with their mental health, waking up just one hour earlier lowers your depression risk by 23% and two hours brings that up to 40%, all while simultaneously lowering cortisol spikes. Those rushed mornings create an emotional turbulence you don’t deserve.
If you’ve started to feel like you’re losing yourself and your life is consumed by school, work or the mundane responsibilities of everyday life, I highly urge you to give yourself the opportunity to have time.
It Gets Easier (Even If It Doesn’t Feel Like It Yet)
This isn’t for nothing. You will feel exhausted at the start, as all habits take time to build, and for some cruel reason bad habits tend to stick far easier than good ones. But if you’re not working for yourself, no one will.
You’ll be rewarded with some of the best sleep of your life at night, and because you went to bed earlier, you’ll wake up the next morning having actually rested. Don’t worry, time solves all. That next morning you will feel rested and met with a serotonin boost courtesy of your dear friend, the sun, and it truly is something to witness it rise before it wakes you.
Your Body Will Thank You Too
If you have thoughts on your physical health, we’re covering that too. Waking up before sunrise increases your vitamin D and speeds up your metabolism. Waking up later can leave you vulnerable to circadian imbalances linked to high blood sugar, weight gain and a compromised immune system.
That early time also gives you the chance to thank your body for keeping up with you, whether that’s a light jog, a quick workout or some yoga hot or cold; it doesn’t matter. At least you’re doing something. And to tie it all together, willpower seems to wake up alongside those who wake early, which matters with pretty much everything.
Start With Yourself This Spring
The point of all of this is that you are prioritizing yourself. It’s far too easy to get used to working for others and stopping there, responding to your boss, your professor, your parent, your partner, your doctor or your friends. But are you responding to yourself? Are you listening to what your body is asking of you?
It’s easy to let ourselves down because we’re too understanding when it comes to our own needs. So let’s make it a priority to make time for ourselves. With spring making its way to us, let’s take advantage of the shift in season. Wake up an hour earlier, maybe keep a journal of your experience and take a calm walk. Or don’t. Sit with your coffee, turn on a cozy show that pulls you out of the real world and then go ahead and face it.