I Love Mornings! (Said Nobody Ever)

There is a distinct feeling you have when you first wake up in the morning; a split second when your mind is completely blank and wonderfully clear, and you are virtually floating in between a dream and reality state. That feeling goes away after a couple seconds, but the notion of a clear head carries over into your morning routine—when you brush your teeth, eat your breakfast, and ultimately start your day.

You have not reached the point of absolute stress that most people feel around 2 p.m., so you have an opportunity to complete your small list of simple tasks and, most importantly, to be alone with your own thoughts. This moment in time is something that few members of the population experience. Let’s be honest, most people detest waking up early, but the ones who do know how truly spectacular the wee hours of the day can be.

I think I’ve always been a morning person. There’s just something about the morning that makes me feel at ease and at peace with my surroundings. Although mornings tend to get a bad reputation for a whole slew of reasons, I think the benefits of waking up early definitely outweigh the costs. Waking up early gives me a few hours of silence and solitude to do the things I need to do. These may be checklist items like going to the gym, reading a chapter for my 9 a.m. class, doing laundry, or organizing my schedule. But these may also be rejuvenating activities, like sitting on the balcony with a cup of tea, reading a book, listening to music, or cooking myself a proper breakfast.

That’s another big reason I think it’s awesome to wake up early. Breakfast. The most important, and arguably the best and most satisfying meal of the day. Why would anyone would want to miss out on that?

I could go on and on about why I think the morning is the best time of day, but do not just take my word for it. Scientific research implies that there is a strong correlation between being a morning person and being a successful person. Studies have shown that the most productive people in our society, including the highest-paid CEOs, pro-athletes, and other famous figures, all have a general habit in common: they are early birds. For example, Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, is famous for sending out company emails at 4:30 a.m.. Some people probably question his sanity, “Goodness, this man is off his rocker—4:30 a.m.?!”

He probably responds, “Yes, it’s early, but yes, I am also the CEO of Apple.”

This is not to say that people who do not wake up early are automatically unproductive and cannot grow up to be CEOs and live successful lives; there just seems to be an association between the success of the most influential people and getting up early. Because they start their day earlier, they are able to take on more tasks and are therefore able to accomplish more on their to-do lists.

Furthermore, there are many basic aesthetic reasons why people should consider rising earlier. For example, the glow of the horizon as the sun rises turns the sky a pale shade of pink, is one of the most beautiful images I get to see on a daily basis. If you never wake up early, you miss out on the entire portion of the day that just happens to include the sunrise, one of the most stunning natural phenomena one could ever experience.

Though becoming a morning person is no easy feat, and I understand that not everyone likes to get up early—night owls, more power to you—it is important to experience getting up early at least every once in a while. You will be amazed at how much you can accomplish when starting you start your day at 8 a.m., and how refreshed you will be even at 2 p.m., when that morning cup of coffee you brewed yourself is still keeping you going.