Benjamin Franklin was quoted to have said, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a
man healthy, wealthy and wise.”
And according to science, he might have been right.
Many successful creative people stick to strict morning routines.
Anna Wintour editor in chief at Vogue starts her day with a bright and early 5:45 a.m.
tennis match, according to The Guardian.
Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs had his own ritual every morning too.
“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself:
“If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?
Taking the time to find that kind of perspective has been biologically proven to be a total
game changer.
Biologist Christoph Randler found that early risers tend to be more proactive, more optimistic,
more agreeable, and conscientious.
And as they start the day early with that attitude established, challenges that come
later in the day take less of a toll physiologically.
The point is not to wake up early just to start working early — others use the time
for meditation, exercise, stretching, writing, or finding inspiration.
But the consistency of the time of day biologically programs their minds and bodies differently
than those who do not take advantage of that window of time.
MRI scans show that the prefrontal cortex of our brain is most active in the early morning
after we wake up.
That’s the part of the brain used for decision making, social behavior, planning, goal-making,
personality, and willpower.
Speaking of willpower - researchers at the University of Nottingham and the National
Institute of Education in Singapore revealed that there is a significant physiological
drop in self-control as the day wears on.
Effort, perceived difficulty, fatigue, and blood glucose levels all suffered from later
stages in the day.
Willpower is most strongest in those few, precious early-morning hours.
Mornings, then, make the most sense for productivity since willpower can be sapped throughout the
day by any number of different stressors—work, school, kids, chores, etc.
But that’s just it, maybe it’s all those things you HAVE to do that makes it better
to be a morning person.
It’s deeply ingrained in our culture that waking up early is a good thing.
Schools and business work on the assumption that most people work better in the morning.
and many people think evening people are lazy.
When in fact they tend to be more creative, humorous and according to a study published
in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.
Creative types just tend to work better in the evening, another study published in the
Journal of Biological Rhythms found that their brains were most excitable at 9 p.m.
And it’s rooted in biology to some degree.
Some studies show that about 50% of our sleep cycle can be pinned down to biology.
Back in our caveman days, having a mix of early risers and night owls was probably a
good thing.
That way someone could always take over the watch.
And there’s a small shift in society, some businesses have started to institute flex
time, where workers can set their own schedules.
But for the vast majority of workers, being a morning person might be best for now.
If you want to get into the rhythm of a morning person there’s a few tricks you can try.
Go outdoors!
One study published in the journal Current Biology found that a week of camping can reset
the body’s clock.
The researchers found that when we are exposed to natural light most people’s bodies sync
to the cycles of daylight.
According to a different study published in the journal Neuroendocrinology Letters, just
getting a burst of sunlight in the morning can “stimulate the body's 24-hour biological
system, which regulates the sleep/wake cycle.”
Getting into a routine can also set you on the right track.
The time of day doesn’t matter so much as simply sticking to your ritual everyday.
Rituals can help you stay focused.
But how does someone stay focused when they’re being set on fire?
Check out this video from Rituals to see how a Hollywood stuntman stays calm.”