I am an early riser and a number of friends ask me how to wake up early? In this post I’ll share the benefits of waking up early and some  very simple nut powerful way which will help you in waking up early in the morning.

There’s one common trait found in all successful people world over- they all are early risers and they start their day when most of others are still sleeping in their beds. Waking up early is amongst the most important lessons I learnt from my parents (Click here to read). We are living in an era where people love to watch TV and surf internet till late and these days there are not many early risers. I am not saying people who are not early risers are not successful but there are a number of benefits on early risers can avail.

Following are the benefits for early risers:

Exercise:

Mornings are the best time to exercise in fresh air. A brisk morning walk of 45-50 minutes is considered one of the best exercises for human beings. Regular exercise improves fitness, provides energy for the whole day, boosts mood and helps with deep sleep cycles.

Explore Nature’s Beauty:

Watching rising sun and birds flying in large numbers is amongst the best feasts of the nature. There’s nothing more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise.

Breakfast:

A number of daily commuters on Delhi roads can be seen having their breakfasts in their cars as they don’t get time for most important work of the day i.e. to have breakfast. And if their mothers/wives/cooks too wake up late they leave for office without having breakfast after fasting for whole night. People who wake up early get ample time to have a healthy breakfast which will supply sufficient energy to work whole day

Develop a Positive Mental Attitude:

Osho once said, “Morning is the best time to meditate. After the whole night’s rest you are very close to the center of your being. It is easier to move into the center consciously early in the morning than at any other time — because for the whole night you have been there at the center, you have just left it. Deep sleep rejuvenates because, although unconsciously, you enter into the core of your being — but you still enter. All the tiredness of the outside world is taken away, and all the wounds are healed, and all the dust disappears. You have taken a bath; you have dived deep into your own being. So in the morning when you have just awakened and you are very close to the center… Soon the periphery will take you, will possess you; you will have to go into the world of occupations.

Before you go into that external journey, have a look, so that consciously you can see who you are. This is what meditation is all about. Hence, down the ages, the morning, early morning, when the earth is awakening and the trees are awakening and the birds are awakening and the sun is awakening, when the whole atmosphere is full of awakening, you can use this situation. You can ride on this tide of awakening and you can enter into your own being, awake, alert, aware. And your whole life will be transformed. And your whole day will be transformed because then you will have a different orientation. Then you can go into the marketplace and still you will remain in contact with your inner core.” Waking up early helps you develop a positive mental attitude as you can prepare for the challenges ahead in the day.

Take Advantage of Extra Time:

If you wake up just one hour earlier each morning you would gain 15 days in a year and that extra one hour can make all the difference to your lives. You will commute in less congested roads and reach their offices on or before time if you start your day early. One of my colleagues, Mr. Sachit Jain at Bharti AXA, was used to reach office before time so that he can finish important work without being interrupted by anyone and leave on time in the evening.

Better Family Life:

You can finish your work on time by starting early and you can leave office on time and you can spend quality time with your family without worrying about any pending work. Various studies has described that early risers are more optimistic and have better family lives than night owls.

It’s not very difficult to become an early riser. It’s just a matter of taking action with discipline and motivation.

Following are some quick tips which can help you develop a habit to get up early in the morning and plan your day in a better way:

Put Your Alarm Away From Your Bed:

Don’t keep alarm near your bed as you will either shut it up or put it on snooze. If the alarm is far from your bed you will have to leave your bed to shut it. You are up now and all you need to do is stay up.

Don’t Fall in 5 Minute Trap:

Once you are up better jump out of the bed and go out of your bedroom. Don’t fall in 5 minute more trap as once people start snoozing usually they keep on snoozing again and again. Remember you lose when you snooze. It’s very easy to wake up at first attempt. If 6-8 hours of sleep is not sufficient then 5 more minutes are not sufficient either. People who fall in 5 minute trap usually end up waking up guilty for not waking up at the first attempt.

Start With Decremental Timing:

Don’t be rigid about waking up early. If u want to start waking up at 5am from your daily routine of 7am, don’t start waking up at 5am next day onwards. It should be decremental say by 15 minutes every 4th day. Your body will get used to wake up just 15 minutes in advance and not 2 or 3 hours.

Drink Water:

Keep a glass of water near alarm and when you shut down the alarm pick up the glass of water and drink it without worrying about brushing your teeth as it will not only alert your internal organs but it’s also a good remedy for stomach and it helps digestion.

No Breaks Please:

Don’t stop getting up early in the morning even if it’s a weekly off or it’s a holiday. Continue your routine of getting up early without fail for continuous 21 days and from 22nd day you won’t have to put alarm to get up and your body clock will ensure you are not sleeping beyond 5am.

Sleep Early:

A night owl can’t be an early riser. Sleeping early is very important if you want to be an early riser. Human body needs 6-8 hours of sound sleep to function perfectly and if you love sleeping late in the night then waking up early will be difficult task. Still if you wake up early despite sleeping late your body will not be able to cope up and most likely you will see consequences of this habit in long run. Sleeping less than 6-8 hours may lead to frequent body breakdowns.