Is waking up early really the solution to everything?

At some point in our lives, we have all heard this usually from our parents “Subha jaldi utho, sab sahi hojayay ga” but is this really how it works? With that, The early morning wakeup has also become a TikTok trend coined the “five-to-nine before the nine-to-five,” where video montages illustrate a slow morning aesthetic of self-affirmations, workouts, and maybe even a head start into planning for the work day. It can make the rest of the world feel lazy.  Simon Ong is a life coach and business strategist who swears by getting up early every day. He wakes at 6.15 am, regardless of the day of the week, and made the decision consciously. He suggests “By waking up early I am able to enjoy a powerful workout before the day gets going. Not only is this good from a health perspective but also for my mind. This daily ritual puts me in a phenomenally empowered peak state that means I’m mentally ready to take on whatever the day may throw my way.” He adds that he is able to get so much more accomplished. “Think about it this way: if you woke up just one hour earlier every day for a year, you create extra time equating to over half a month. What could you do with all that extra time? Begin to imagine all the exciting possibilities!” I guess you have had enough of the morning people telling you about it, so let’s look into some actual research now.  A study by the National Library of Medicine found that morning larks (early birds) tend to have higher levels of positive affect and mental health, and that this was the case for both younger and older adults. Evidence also suggests that morning people who wake up early enjoy a lowered risk of depression and schizophrenia. According to another research on Moral foundations in chronotypes, early risers are more content, punctual, academically successful, and have more traditional beliefs. Night owls have worse diets, are more impulsive and furious, are more prone to engage in cyberbullying, and, most importantly, are worse at kicking soccer balls. Furthermore, the long-standing association between rising early and being conscientious is reexamined in a study by a team of Polish academics published on May 24 in PLOS ONE by looking at a different but potentially significant factor that may underlie the association: religiosity. The researchers came to the conclusion that being religious may assist explain why early risers are generally more conscientious and contented because early risers tended to score higher on all measures of religiosity. Because some religions encourage morning prayer, “morningness” may be closely associated with holiness. As a result, religion may be the primary factor in the association between getting up early and being a conscientious person. Indeed, waking up early has countless benefits that we may have known but now, we have research and experience to back it up. As much as we would like to hate it, we know waking up early will also bring so many positive changes in our lives. If you really want to bring this change in your life start by waking up an hour earlier than usual. Who knows you might soon find yourself as the morning person you were once annoyed of.