Wake Up Early
In case you don’t like birds, I will skip the early bird analogy. Waking up early sounds like a terrible idea at first. There is no one else awake, you’ll be tired all day long, and your bed is just so comfortable. These are all reasons people don’t want to wake up earlier than they already are. These objections are often true, but are they reasons to stay in bed? If you hate waking up early but need to, there is hope. Here is a list of benefits you may receive from waking up a bit earlier tomorrow.
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Time for yourself. If you can wake up even a few minutes earlier than everyone else in your home, you have time for yourself. The older we get, the more responsibilities come our way. The children wake up and need help brushing their teeth or the dog needs to go outside. Then before you know it, the entire day has passed and you haven’t made time for yourself. Do yourself a favor and get out of bed before everyone else.
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Exercise. Similar to time for yourself, exercise can be forgotten if not made a priority. Exercising in the morning may also help you have more energy throughout your day. Get energized through exercise is great and maybe you get some bigger muscles at the same time!
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Less traffic. While other people are waking up just in time to slam some breakfast in their mouths and rush out the door, you can leave for work early and miss the gridlocked traffic. Showing up to work early is also a side benefit of waking up early.
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Watching the sunrise. God placed the sun in our sky to give us light and energy. Viewing a beautiful sunrise can help remind you of God’s amazing creative power and His love for you.
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Breakfast. As I said before, a lot of people barely have time for anything in the morning, let alone time to prepare a healthy breakfast. When you wake up early, start your day with a healthy breakfast which can help reduce overall calorie intake for the rest of the day. Preparing your breakfast the night before can make the morning better as well.
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Time with God. Jesus spent many mornings alone talking with God. Ground yourself in the spirit of God by reading His word. Pray in private for those people He has put in your life. Journal your devotional time. Time with Jesus is never wasted time.
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Reduce stress. According to sleepfoundation.org, “Research shows that people who tend to sleep and wake later are more likely to experience anxiety and depression”. Get up and get your day conquered!
Obviously, there are benefits to waking up early. How early? Now that is up to you. I intentionally did not say when you should wake up. There are many tips and tricks I have used to help me wake up early and start my day right. I will share those at another time. For now, learning the benefits of waking up early will be sufficient. Just remember, getting out of your comfortable bed has many benefits for you and for those you care about.
