TDL 003: Why Everyone Could Benefit from getting up at 5AM • Delightful Life

In this episode, Jennifer shares why she thinks getting up at 5am really may be for everyone.

What is the 5am(ish) Experience?

Getting out of bed early, intentionally, to have quality “me time” before everyone around you is awake. Yes, even as a mom, or as anyone who doesn’t have a 9-5 job.
Taking care of yourself physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally, in order to become a better spouse, parent, employee, friend, etc.

Why 5am?

Numerous studies show that “the most successful people” get up, on average, three hours earlier than they need to be at work.
There are fewer distractions in the earliest hours of the day. Once everyone is up or you are at work, you cannot easily, regularly take adequate time for yourself without ignoring other needs and turning a healthy boundary (“me time”) into something more selfish.
Even if you’re a “night owl”, it’s difficult to be truly productive after giving your energy to an entire day’s work, then trying to accomplish something extra late at night when everyone is in bed.
An intentional early morning routine sets the tone for your day. Starting off calm (or frazzled) is likely to set a calm (or frazzled) course.
Motivation tends to breed motivation.

So how do you start?

Prepare the things you’ll need in the morning, the night before. There is little that is less motivating than sacrificing sleep only to add an additional hurried, unproductive hour or two to your day.
Decide whether you’ll “go cold turkey” or back your alarm up 10-15 minutes each day – whatever works best for you – but plan to stick with it for several days.
Find the “sweet spot” for you – the time that allows you to feel focused and calm, ready for your day, as productive as you want to be, without sacrificing necessary sleep. Be sure and genuinely evaluate necessary sleep versus staying in bed because it’s cozy and warm 😉
Give yourself grace. Like any discipline, this is a journey. It isn’t something to accomplish and then be done with, rather it is something that may come easier at some times than others. Evaluate honestly your season of life, and if this is even the right time for an “early to rise experience” for you.
Brainstorm what motivates you to get out of bed.
Go to bed earlier! We all need slightly different amounts of sleep, but research shows that people who got fewer than the recommended hours of quality sleep – even if they didn’t “feel tired” – performed poorer on tasks and had more difficulty making decisions than their counterparts with adequate rest.

Give it a try, then join in the conversation! Already an early riser? Share your tips and triumphs in the comments or on Facebook with the hashtag #DelightfulLife.
Thanks for listening!

The Early to Rise Experience for Moms by Andy Traub

Some additional resources:

The Power of Mornings from Entrepreneur.com

“College Night Owls have Lower Grades” (University of North Texas research findings)

How and Why to Become a Morning Person by Rachel Pomerance Berl

“Morning People Happier than Night Owls” from LiveScience