From being a night owl to an early riser

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” – Ben Franklin

What time do you wake up? As for me , I developed this habit of waking at 3:00 AM for more than a year now. I was once a night owl but was first forced to switch to an early riser when I got a toddler and had discovered my passion in blogging. It has been a godsend breakthrough. I couldn't specifically pinpoint any health benefits of rising early but I could cite some great benefits of rising early.  It has helped me in so many ways that I’d never go back. Here are just a few:

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1. Have a meaningful time with God. Doctors tell us that the most important meal of the day is breakfast. It often determines our energy levels, alertness, and even moods for the day. Likewise, we need a "spiritual breakfast" to start our day off right. In the morning our minds are uncluttered from the day's activities. Our thoughts are fresh, we're rested; tensions have not yet come on us, and it's usually the quietest time. With a kid around the house and work as a pre-school teacher,  early morning is my only time when it is quiet and I can be alone with God. It works for me.

2. Amazing start. I used to start my day by jumping out of bed, late as usual, and rushing to get myself  ready and come in to work late. I would walk into work, looking rumpled and barely awake, grumpy and behind everyone else. Not a great start to my day. Now that I have a renewing morning ritual, I’ve gotten so much done before 7 a.m. We ate breakfast at 6:00 a.m and arrived at school before 7:30. 

3.Have time for Breakfast. Rise early and you actually have time for breakfast. As I mentioned earlier,  it’s one of the most important meals of the day. Without breakfast, your body is running on fumes until you are so hungry at lunchtime that you eat whatever unhealthy thing you can find- usually with lots of fats and sugar. But eat breakfast, and you are sated until later. 

4. Exercise. There are other times to exercise besides the early morning, of course, but I’ve found that while exercising right after work is also very enjoyable, it’s also liable to be canceled because of other things that come up. Morning exercise is virtually never canceled.

5. Productivity. Mornings, for me at least, are the most productive time of day. I like to do some writing in the morning, when there are no distractions, before I check my email , blog stats, and Facebook. I get so much more done by starting on my work in the morning. Then, when evening rolls around, I have no work that I need to do, and I can spend it with family.