The Benefits of a 5 am Wake up

Starting your day early allows you to focus on what is important and not on what is urgent.

There is some magic at five am that empowers you to finish all the really important tasks of the day. Whatever the season, there’s always a breeze at this time that makes me breathe deeply enough to figure out what I need to do. Whether I’m reading, writing, working out, meditating, or painting, it’s magic to me.

Unlike other generations, we have the ability to be connected to different parts of the world and time zones no matter where we are as long as we have an internet connection. This is one of the main reasons why most of the nomad workers started waking up early or going to sleep so late. We are beings that respond to light, so the difference is biological. Even if you’re not a morning person, I recommend getting up at five at least once a month because being in contact with the first light rays makes you feel alive and full of energy in a way you can only understand if you have been there.

Mindfulness & Focus for Productivity and Wellbeing

Basic Mindfulness – The 3 Levels of Awareness

Pranayama and Meditation

Explore More >

Waking up at 5 am allows you to be one step ahead and always prepared for the unexpected.

Being in Europe and having everything ready to go when America wakes up makes me feel satisfied. You’re a step forward if you are already working when others are sleeping. This doesn’t have to do with a time zone difference only, you can also be furthermost of your city colleagues, partners, competitors or even relatives! Having everything set up when everyone else is waking up at home has no value, but being able to read peacefully before the kids start screaming and running around is priceless.

Here’s the problem: you feel sleepy earlier. There are two simple solutions: either you go to bed earlier or you take a nap. Specialists recommend sleeping at least seven to eight hours continuously but we know that sometimes that is not possible. In that case, having at least a fifteen minute nap (usually after lunch) will increase your productivity and allow you to resist until late hours in the evening. Like with everything, it won’t happen from one day to the other, you will need to get your body used to this new routine for at least three weeks. Another practice that was useful to me was dividing the day in two or even in three parts when possible. Sometimes it feels as though one day has become two when I start my day earlier. I like to take a big break mid day. A big break may involve going to the gym to work out super hard and then taking a cold shower to help wake me up. A big break may also be a 15 to 90 minutes nap, a long trip, a good meal, or a supermarket walk to clear my mind.

Being in a quiet environment allows you to have a clear and powerful mind.Take advantage of this time to work on those hard pending tasks! You’ll feel satisfied and free the rest of the day once they are complete. Those little pending mental notifications are the ring that make us anxious and avoid us to focus and give our best strength to those chores that really matter. Some call it finishing the easiest/hardest tasks first, others use this time to meditate or practice spirituality before the pollution invades the city, and also others take their best inspiration to write or produce different kind of art.

I’m not the only one talking about waking up at 5. There are many other who recommend this as well. If you’re interested in learning more, please feel free to review the comments of Bryan Yen, Robin Sharma, several neuroscientists, and other highly successful people. Waking up at 5 am allows you to be one step ahead and always prepared for the unexpected.