Miracle Morning: Does Getting Up Early Really Improve Everyday Life?
Photos Getty
Words Pauline Allione
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They've said goodbye to sleeping in and the snooze button on their alarms.
It's said that the future belongs to those who get up early, but for some, it belongs to those who get up ultra-early. This trend comes from across the Atlantic, where a personal development speaker claims that setting your alarm for 5.30am and getting up at the first ring can have a miraculous effect on our daily lives. In his book “Miracle Morning”, Hal Elrod advocates the idea that taking an hour or two for exercise, meditation, or reading before heading to work could change everything...Meeting with early risers.
Jumping Out of Bed
After a romantic disappointment, 20-year-old Alan started his Miracle Morning journey. "I needed to find a regular sleep rhythm, and I was lacking motivation and having trouble reaching my goals", explains the student from Grenoble. The young man decided to set his alarm for exactly 5am to start his day before sunrise. "I read a bit, then I eat, go for a run, and do a workout session."
After his morning endorphin shot, Alan takes time to tend to his personal affairs and progress on his courses and personal projects before planning his day and jotting down his daily goals on paper. Since adopting this new routine, the Grenoble native says he feels more productive and active in class: "I'm more interested, I procrastinate less... I've gained self-discipline."
"Exercising just after waking up, very early in the morning, has a synchronizing effect on the biological clock and promotes the regularity of rhythms,", confirms Sylvie Royant-Parola, a psychiatrist specializing in sleep disorders, to a journalist from Elle who decided to follow Hal Elrod's method. For the specialist, it's “essential not to get up at the last minute" to avoid the stress of being late, and to get up at least 1.5 hours before leaving the house (or starting telework).
A Moment for Oneself
Jung, a personal development coach, also embraced the Miracle Morning. According to him, waking up very early offers“a time dedicated to oneself and only oneself”, he details. “What's interesting is deciding what routine to establish during this time.”. The coach suggests spending this moment on sports, personal projects, meditation, reading, or even creative activities... It's then up to you to compose your morning routine according to your desires and needs.
David, 42, has been waking up before the sun for two years now. “Given my lifestyle, between 5.30 and 6.45am is the only quiet time I have. It's my moment, when I'm sure no one will bother me.” This security salesman in the South gets out of bed at 4.55am and immediately puts on his sneakers to hit the pavement. “Regardless of the time or weather, the essential thing is to put on my headphones and run 5 to 9 kilometers every weekday.”
Once his daily kilometer quota is met, he returns to family life and prepares breakfast for the kids. Since establishing this morning routine, David can't imagine going back to his old rhythm. The scale now shows 12 kilos less, which was one of his initial goals, and the salesman approaches his days with a different mindset: “I'm eager to start the day rather than just endure it, and I have more confidence in myself. The very rare times I can't run early, I'm not great at work, and let's not talk about my terrible mood”, says the salesman.
Early to Bed, Early to Rise
Of course, waking up before dawn is hardly compatible with spending the entire evening watching movies or TV. Unless you need less sleep, bedtime is also moved up a few hours. “I finish my work around 7-8pm, shower and put my three boys to bed, then I'm standing KO” shares David. The same goes for Alan, who goes to bed much earlier than many students. “I fall asleep after dinner, around 9pm.” While this rhythm may not suit everyone, David and Alan are clearly part of the morning person team.