Words by Chanelle Goddard
You’ve heard it before: the early bird catches the worm. By waking up at 6 am, not only will you be happier and more productive, but you’ll be in pretty good company too.
Not everyone’s an early riser, and with lockdown, most people made the most out of being able to hit the snooze button without guilt – after all, the prime minister told us all to stay in. It follows then, that most people’s morning routine might consist of late nights, early-ish mornings and repeated alarm snoozes. But, and you may not want to hear this, waking up at 6 am might be the key to unlocking your creativity, increasing your productivity and improving your physical and mental health. It also gives you the chance to go on that morning run or perform that fitness routine you’ve been planning for months.
At this point, you may be unconvinced. You’ve heard all this before you might say. To delete all those alarms and commit to waking up at 6 am, you need specifics, backed by evidence – here are reasons to start your mornings at 6 am.
It gives you more time to be productive
This may seem obvious, but waking up at 6 am gives you extra time to complete all tasks, reply to urgent messages, and have some breakfast before beginning your day. Finding the time to squeeze in all the important aspects of your morning routine can be a struggle. By waking up at 6 am, you give yourself ample time to get things done with ease and comfort.
Starting your day earlier can also mean finishing earlier – giving way for those Netflix evenings at home or a night out with friends.
You won’t have to skip breakfast
We’ve all been there: you wake up late, missing the chance to have any breakfast, or hastily shoving down a piece of toast before running out the door. This may just about work, but in the long term, it won’t you do you any favours. Starting your day at 6 am gives you more time to prepare a nutritional breakfast, providing you with the fuel you need to get through your day – it’s the ‘most important meal of the day’ for a reason.
You’ll have a more positive outlook
We’ve all been through a night owl phase; late nights can help when you’ve got a lot of work to power through, a paper to read, an easy to proof-read or for some, start. But late nights and early mornings can also be damaging: bad moods which linger throughout the day can often be traced to a lack of sleep. By sleeping earlier, you’ll wake up earlier in a better and cheerful mood – leading to more productivity and long-lasting work and personal relationships. Don’t take our word for it, the University of Toronto’s research reached the same conclusion.
Less traffic and easier commutes
Rushed showers, unfinished breakfasts and a dash for the car keys may be part of your regular morning routine, but it does more harm than good. Aside from the risk of turning up late – which could in itself result in lost opportunities – leaving in a rush does little to prepare you for the day ahead.
Instead, by opting to wake up at 6 am, you’ll have all the time you need to perform your early morning routine, catch up on what’s happening in the world and get to your location on time. It’s definitely worth the try.
Successful people swear by it
If you’re still unconvinced, maybe the successful people who swear by waking up early will do it: Howard Schultz, Vittorio Colao, Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffet and Richard Branson are all known to wake up at 6 am.
After waking up at 6 am, you’ll need some podcasts to keep you informed and entertained – here are five podcasts to make you smarter.