Episode 168. How To Be Awesome At Starting Your Day At 5am
It’s both the most painful thing ever at times and also the most rewarding. We are talking about waking up EARLY… well 5am to be exact.
Countless studies show that we are our sharpest and most productive in the first few hours of the day and there’s also a lot of research supporting the thoughts that more sleep and waking up early leads to better health and an overall healthier lifestyle.
But here’s the real reason. You get TWO full hours to yourself before the world is awake and moving! You likely aren’t distracted by texts and emails coming in or toddlers tugging at your legs. It gives clarity and time to do things that are important to you each day. So while it will be painful at times- I think once you try it out and see how great your days feeeeel- you’ll be addicted!
We are talking about why waking up at 5am is AWESOME today!
Here are some of the points Lindsay makes:
-It’s about health and a healthy lifestyle… but honestly it’s also about personal time!
-The master of this concept is Robin Sharma, author of The 5am Club Own Your Morning Elevate Your Life says…
"5am is time of least distraction, highest human glory and greatest peace.”
-The average person wakes up and let's the day take over.
-Waking up at 5am allows you to have intention for your day.
-If you want to be great, this is where to start.
-We have to start our days with intention
-Lindsay always talks about bandwidth. Our minds have a limited amount of “bandwidth.”
--Our brain is best early in the morning.
--Our brain chemistry is different early in the morning.
Here are some of the reasons Lindsay thinks waking up early will bring value to your life:
1. Get more done
2. Have more energy
3. Look more youthful and rested
4. Feel less rushed/stressed/frazzled
5. Healthier weight (you can’t eat when you’re sleeping and it’s your bodys time to rest and process)
6. Healthier eating (not grabbing whatever in a rush)
7. Immune system strength (your white blood cells drop when you get a full nights sleep- the ones that fight infection)
8. More personal time = happy head space (not getting right on your computer)
9. Get enough sunlight during the day!
Studies Lindsay references:
Source: the journal JAMA Psychiatry
Waking up early reduces the risk of suffering from depression, says new study. A recent study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry showed that waking up an hour before the normal time can reduce the risk of a person suffering from depression by 23%.
The connection between earlier sleep timing and lower risk of depression may have to do with circadian rhythm and early risers getting more light exposure throughout their awake hours. “We know that exposure to sunlight has an impact on our moods,” says psychotherapist Michele Miller, LCSW. “For example, looking at seasonal affective disorder, it’s the longer, darker days that lead people to feel depressed and less energized—so, getting up earlier allows you to experience more daylight, which could make you feel more energized.” And if you’re doing that on the regular, it could lead to the decreased depression risk identified above.
So many studies about reduced sleep and weight gain in nurses. You are tired so you don’t eat as healthy or are in a hurry. You don’t have time for exercise and your body doesn’t have enough time to rest.
Here are some of the tips Lindsay talks about:
1. Go to bed early
2. Exhaust yourself physically each day
3. Have a wind down plan at night
4. Don’t leave crumbs in your days
5. Create a happy sleeping environment in your space
6. Sleep with your curtains open
7. Don’t eat after a certain time
8. Avoid caffeine after a certain time
9. Unplug before bed
10. Put your phone on silent
11. Adjust your routine to stick to your bedtime
12. Get up and brush your teeth and put on shoes - it will get easier- don’t let yourself get back in bed
Lindsay wraps up by talking about the lessons learned in the book, “The 5am Club.”
-Waking up at 5am gives you alone time and improved brain state so you can operate at your best.
-Balance your “empires” - physical health, emotional health and spirituality.
-The 20/20/20 rule. This is how to spend your first hour! First 20 minutes fitness, next 20 minutes reflection and meditation and last 20 minutes learning/reading.
So many reasons to wake up at 5am and feel awesome!