By: Smita Nayak
Waking up at 5.30am, watching the sunrise, going for a walk, practicing yoga and meditation; seems imaginary, right? Well, for me this is my favourite time of the day and my favourite activities to do. I have a family where waking up early is a major part of everyone’s life. It has been a disciplined routine which everyone follows. It is not a compulsion on anyone at home but with time we all realised how waking up early can be helpful in having a productive day. When I was in my early teenage years, I used to wonder why everyone wakes up so early, why don’t they sleep for some more hours, why everyone has to be a morning person, but little did I know that this routine is going to play a major part in my life ahead. Almost all my teenage years I used to wake up every day with a cranky mood just because I never understood the value of it. In my late teenage years, probably at 19, I realised how useful it is to wake up early and have a routine.
According to me, people who wake up early are fundamental A type. People who complete all their work before time, who are the ones suggesting the hangout places, people who are ready to explore nature. No doubt I consider myself as one of them. Now that I’ve built this habit of waking up early, it is nearly impossible for me wake up late no matter at what time I slept. Trust me guys, I’m not exaggerating.
I know, for some this might be not possible due to their jobs or lifestyle in hostels, but we can always try. In the world of millennials and genZ people, staying up till late and waking up late has become a trend and people who wake up early are considered old fashioned or non-trendy or we can even say disciplined, which is not what most of the people like. As nontrendy as it sounds, one may realise the importance of waking up early. While adapting this habit, I realised I used to complete all my important work before noon and still had time for other stuff. I started to have a disciplined routine, my lifestyle got better and most importantly my anxiety was improving. My sleep schedule got better, and I was able to concentrate more on being productive rather than procrastinating. But this does not mean I woke up every day with the same energy and same excitement to be productive, some days are hard, some days I procrastinate and don’t do a single work. But that is okay I guess; some can be lazy days. Watching the sunrise, spending some ‘me’ time, concentrating on your inner self, planning the day and manifesting something; this is what my mornings usually are. Soothing, fresh air, birds chirping and playing; once you start observing these little details about mornings, you’ll get motivation to wake up early and enjoy these things daily. But as I mentioned before, not everyone is able to wake up early considering their jobs or college life, the most important factor to have a healthy lifestyle is trying to get enough sleep so that whenever you wake up, you are in a fresh mood to start your day and be productive.
Many of you will wonder how I manage to wake up at 5.30am. There’s no such big deal in building this habit, you just need so follow few things. Here are some tips which you can try:
· Have a light dinner at night and try having dinner 2 hours before sleeping
· Before sleeping avoid using mobile/laptop/PC or any other device instead try reading a good book so that you have good thoughts while sleeping.
· You don’t have to wake up at 5.30am like me, try building a habit first; if you wake up at 8am, try waking up at 7.30am; take one step at a time.
· After waking up, immediately make your bed and get freshened up so you don’t crave to go to bed again.
· Go for a morning walk or a run, do some work out so that your body gets ready for the entire day.
· And lastly, be consistent. Without consistency, no one can achieve anything.
When my dad used to mention, how waking up early and studying in the mornings with fresh minds really helps in future; I always took it very lightly, but gradually with time I realised he was right. Whatever I used to study in the morning, I always understood every bit of it. I only want to mention that waking up early has made my life extremely easy and productive. It is not easy for all to follow this lifestyle, but instead of staying up till late and being on social media, it’s way better to wake up early and listen to the birds chirping. Am I a changed woman after adapting this lifestyle? Yes, definitely. I can say with confidence that this is the better way to live. I have very little in my life to feel truly smug about, and I intend to hold on to this for as long as I can.
