Getting up early – the benefits of a 5am start include time to work out, clear the mind, and eat a proper breakfast, advocates say
- Waking up early gives us time to exercise, meditate and have a healthy breakfast before tackling the day’s challenges. It’s good for mind and body
- Celebrities Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey and Richard Branson are all early risers, even if night owls may argue they work best when it’s late
Waking up at 5am has been a habit for Abhinav Sood, a public relations professional in Delhi, India, for more than three decades. He gets up at the crack of dawn to work out – a regime of push-ups, floor exercises and jogging – catch up on the news and have a healthy breakfast of cereal, eggs and fruit.
“The best business strategy ideas come early in the morning, when the mind is free of stress,” says the 46-year-old, a director of Communications Inc.
Sleeping is one of life’s pleasures, and many of us relish staying in bed, sleeping in and getting up only if absolutely necessary. But there is something magical about getting up before sunrise, savouring the peace and quiet, and leaning into the day gently. Mornings do matter.
As Sood says: “Getting up early helps me commute earlier, beating the traffic, and makes sure that I am not rushing through the day with a cluttered mind.” That leaves him better equipped to prioritise and solve problems.
In his book The 5AM Club, bestselling author and leadership guru Robin Sharma says that “our most valuable hours are between 5am and 8am”.