Everyone wakes up every day at different times in different places. They all get ready in different ways according to what makes them feel good. Becoming a morning person can be one of the most beneficial ways to get through the day feeling energized and content with your mind and body.

Everyone is different, whether they work long hours or short hours, there is always a period of time in the morning when you get ready for the day. For some, it looks like waking up five minutes before you have to be somewhere and run out of the house with a piece of bread or a protein shake. For others maybe it is waking up at 4:30 and meditating before taking a walk and making a balanced breakfast. These may be beneficial to both parties in their own ways but why are healthy morning habits so important?

Productivity can be extremely hard for some people. There are plenty of things that you would rather be doing than waking up at five in the morning to shower or finish some extra homework. When someone is productive they are able to see what they have to do, and be disciplined enough to get the job done as soon as possible. However it is not about who can get the most done before noon, it is about proving to yourself that you can wake up at the same time and accomplish things before you even make it into the workplace or school.

The more we put things off or forget about important things, the more stressed and overwhelmed we become. Blocking out times in the morning to get things done even if it is just one thing will benefit your mental appearance. You will think less about what you haven’t done and more about what you are going to do to keep up your momentum for the day ahead.

Waking up early brings a sense of peace into your day. There is this gap of time where you feel alone and refreshed, why not take this time and enjoy it? Rushing out the door 15-20 minutes before you have to be somewhere doesn’t give you the closure or time to really soak up the positive side of having time to just be with yourself in the morning. This can lead to us feeling trapped in a loop of stress and cramming everything at the last minute.

So how do we start? If you are used to sleeping in and never having time to do the things you enjoy in the morning, your body is going to try everything in its power to get itself back to the comfort of waking up later. This is why you start small. Setting goals is very important and you have to always think back on why you are doing this. It takes 20 days to start waking up 30 minutes to an hour earlier. The more you do this, the more your body will become accustomed to waking up. Now that your body knows that you are going to do what you told it to do, it will become easier to implement habits into your daily routine such as washing your face, showering in the mornings, walking the dog, or even just as simple as making the bed.

You don’t have to wake up three hours earlier than you think you do but building strong habits will regain the trust that you have with your body when you tell it that you are going to wake up early or go on a hike. Working hard on morning habits is a big part of being confident and productive for the rest of your life.