Why wake up early in the morning?
Oh yes, if there is something that I like – it’s sleeping. A nice time to be by myself, to recover and become everything that I want if I catch the right dream. And then, in the middle of some important action or I’m just flying around a bit… something happens at that exact moment, but I miss the action because of… beep! beep! beep!… my alarm is bringing me back to reality.
So bam! Let’s hit the snooze button, squeeze my eyes and get back to sleep. Back to my fight with some superheroes, or to finish that kiss with a random supermodel… Only, most of the time I can’t go back and time is just passing after hitting the snooze button. Checking the time and giving yourself the approval to stay 10, 20 or, fuck-it, 30 minutes longer in bed. Forty-five minutes later, totally I’m totally lost, tired and stressed… Rushing to the bathroom, jumping under the shower, grabbing some rice wafers and doing the cookie monster imitation while gobbling them down. One point for the stress team ;)
The next day, I’m more committed to the process of waking up early, the alarm is set fort 6… beep! beep! beep!… 6 x snooze… disappointment x 2… Now I’m totally lost and even more tired than yesterday… 2 – 0 for the stress team. And yes, most of the times the stress team won.
Why should you wake up early?
Mostly we want to wake up early in the morning just to have extra time in our day, so we can get more things done. This is often also the reason why it’s so difficult to wake up early in the morning. Why should you give up your dream and wake up to replace it with stress and work? Is it not better to wake up and merge your dream with another dream, a real passion, something you really love… something that makes you happy and makes you jump out of your bed even before your alarm is beeping.
“The perfect moment for bonding with your spouse and passion is right when you wake up,”
says Ilia Karatsoreos, PhD, a neuroscientist at Rockefeller University.
Levels of oxytocin (aka the “love hormone”) are sky-high upon waking, making it the best time for the intimacy of all kinds. We can use this energy for some magical lovemaking with our partner, but there are some downsides to this… Anecdotal evidence and emerging studies suggest that having fewer ejaculations can make you more creative, productive, driven, and loving. And I can confirm that after my 30 days of no ejaculation challenge (soon more about that).
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So I really recommend using those levels of oxytocin to invest in yourself and your passion. Don’t let stress eat you up in the morning… It’s not that having an erotic morning session is bad, but if you want to become more productive, save it for the evening or sexy-Sundays. ;)
Often people complain that they have no time to accomplish their dreams, so why even think about it. This is where I’m daring you to give up 90 minutes of your bedtime dreams to start a real dream.
The simple formula
1. Aware alarm setting
It’s important to set your alarm with a clear reason. Why do I want to wake up early in the morning? I recommend setting your alarm between 6 and 7 because of the high oxytocin levels. Put your phone on flight mode to remove distractions.
2. Don’t go back to sleep
Be honest with yourself and keep promises to yourself. When your alarm is beeping, skip the snooze button. You made a promise to yourself. After a couple of weeks, you will notice that you’re waking up even before your alarm, so be strong and step out of that bed.
3. Connect with yourself
Take some time to connect with yourself through doing nothing for 15 min. Drink a glass of water, enjoy a morning coffee look at the sky or go for a short walk with your dog. Keep your phone on flight mode to stay in your own energy. Don’t waste your oxytocin peak on reading bullshit on social media.
4. Connect with your passion
“Your brain now has moderate levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which in reasonable amounts can actually help your mind focus,”
says Sung Lee, MD, secretary of the International Brain Education Association.
Now it’s time to fully devote to your passion project – the reason why you woke up early this morning. Don’t let anything disturb you, stay in focus for at least 60 minutes, keep your phone on flight mode. Enjoy the moment and be creative, be curious, be authentic… This hour is yours and nobody can take it away from you. I if you didn’t wake up early, you would be in dreamland and nobody could reach you there.
5. Time to rock your day
By now, levels of the sleep hormone, melatonin, have dropped sharply from their late evening and early morning peaks. This means you’re more ready to take on a load of projects. According to German researchers, the reaction time and the ability to accomplish several to-dos are the strongest in the middle of the day.
This may sound too simple, but I really dare you to take a chance on yourself and invest time in your passion project.
If you’re having problems with defining your passion project, my next article will provide you with some useful advice on defining your passion and your strengths, so stay tuned!
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