A common belief in society is that if you want to own the day you need to wake up early. Usually 5am. It’s considered that these earlier hours will unlock benefits like extra productivity, motivation or clarity of mind.
I find this belief to be at best unhelpful, and at worst harmful.
How many of us have felt inspired setting the alarm at night, only to feel like you’ve been hit by a train when the alarm goes off at 5am? How many of you are genuinely more productive in the midnight hours, yet feel a little guilt or shame because you’re not an early riser?
Don’t feel pressured to “get a headstart on your day”. You’ll benefit more by understanding the conditions that get you in the zone and removing the habits that are not working for you (like scrolling on your phone before bed).