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gAccording to YouGov 2023 opinion pollEach year, approximately one in three American adults And more than half of 18- to 29-year-olds start the new year with at least one resolution. One of the most common resolutions, at 22 percent of all adults, was “to be happy.” Another common resolution was “to be happy.” “Improving Physical Health” Of course, I support the sentiment behind these promises. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be writing the column. “How to create a life”
But these good intentions are too broad to succeed. Behavioral scientists have long shown that specific goals are the ones that are more likely to actually lead to victory. For example, they’ve found that small resolutions to work through each day are motivating. teamAnd the same can be done even if there is only one person working. When I write a book (Which I account for about 75 percent of my work time.) My goal each day is just to write 100 words, which is a simple but achievable goal. And it is a goal that will eventually be incorporated into the finished chapter. Finally a complete book. Similarly, researchers look for Incremental progress is a good way to solve complex policy problems.
And as you build your life, so this year, try setting clear goals that you can realistically achieve—and that will put you on the path to bigger, more dispersed resolutions. And I have one very achievable commitment in mind. This will help you be happier. And improve your health and productivity: This year, start waking up early.
watchFast is fast? You ask, although clock times vary depending on the time of year and where you live. But what I consider is before dawn.
Waking up before dawn sounds like an act of asceticism—literally. This habit has been a characteristic of many monastic traditions throughout history. Certainly from the 4th century and possibly earlier. Christian monks observe part of the liturgy known as Matins, held between 3:00 a.m. and dawn. Hinduism also encourages its followers to experience this. Brahman Muhurtawhich in Sanskrit means This is called “Creator’s Time” and refers to the time period that occurs precisely one hour and 36 minutes before sunrise. To discipline the body and mind and frame the day for worshiping God The thought proceeds. This is the right time to rise up.
Modern neuroscience indicates that Although the practice may seem painful to those who are not familiar with it, But this may be the right way to start the day for optimal human performance. For example, a 2012 study of teens and young adults ages 16 to 22 in India compared randomly selected groups. Two groups, one group woke up before 4:30 a.m. and the other at around 7:00 a.m. meet that early risers showed significant improvements during the study in both concentration and memory. who did better than later risers Consistent with this finding, a 2019 article arrived. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience show Our brains are wired to work better in the morning. We can assume that this facilitates better performance of complex tasks.
Waking up early is an especially effective way to solve this problem. This is because it is likely to help achieve other popular goals, such as new evidence from researchers. recommend Waking up early makes it easier to develop good habits. This is due to the brain regions being targeted such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Work better at this time than later in the day.
One habit that’s easier to implement in the morning is exercise. Cleanse. exists to show When people intend to exercise in the morning They often suffer It’s less of a “failure on purpose” than of planning to exercise later.
Of course, waking up before dawn is difficult. If not then You just don’t need to be fixed. For almost everyone The body resists getting out of the warm bed. And the sudden movement from sleep to wakefulness can feel like a serious disturbance. You may feel like nature doesn’t want you to get up. And that may be correct in an evolutionary sense: We are programmed to seek comfort and rest when we can. Your Pleistocene ancestors—who may not have lived much longer than their 30s—needed energy to fight for survival every day. This instinct still exists. Even though we are no longer fighting to survive
Because waking up early is a challenge. You might think that waking up early makes you feel less happy. Research says the opposite. Psychologist writes in journal mood have show Early risers have positive emotions throughout the day. Compared to those who wake up late Even after controlling for problems such as depression and neuroticism related to sleep disorders. People who sleep late and wake up late tend to have worse habits. Emotional control than early risers This, in turn, can lead to higher levels of negative emotions.
Sor science About the benefits of waking up early—however difficult—it seems clear. But what do you need to do to succeed in this resolution and develop this habit? Here are some things to keep in mind:
1. This morning started last night.
Waking up early is the second part of two habits. The first part is going to bed early enough to get enough sleep. This may seem like an easy habit to maintain. But for many people it isn’t. I’ve written before about why people don’t go to bed or stay up at a reasonable time. For many young people The problem is what psychologists call “Revenge procrastination,” in which they stay up late, is a form of rebellion against their own inner authority. Knowing that you have this tendency can help you break free from it.
Other people may have genetic characteristics Want to stay up late and wake up late, or (like me) they find it difficult to turn off the mental mechanisms that can make it difficult to fall asleep? For this problem Scientific protocols can make a big difference.
2.Increase the cost of not getting up
One reason people struggle to wake up early is because they don’t have to. When I was a musician in my 20s, I always woke up after the sun came up. Because I have never practiced or performed a concert in the morning, in theory I wanted to wake up early. But if I set the clock to 6 a.m. and when it rings I knew it would cost me nothing to go back to sleep, so I would turn off the alarm and turn over. Later, in my 30s, when I finally started college and graduate school, I have a place where I have to be very early—and that changes my personality.
Even if you don’t have to start work or study early. But you can still motivate yourself by making a conscious effort to accomplish something worthwhile. meditationwhich is Markus’s journal Aurelius to himself roman emperor and Stoic philosophers write: “In the morning when I found myself unwilling to get up Consider yourself now, it is the work of the man that excites you.” So choose the actions that will excite you.
in psychological experiments Participants performed even minor tasks, such as solving small math problems, immediately after their alarm sounded. There is little chance. More than others will go back to sleep if necessary. You can increase the cost of your stay by making yourself accountable to other people. For example, if you have a workout partner and you agree to meet at the gym first. You’re more likely to get out of bed when the clock runs out. Instead of the cost of disappointing your partner.
3. Create sanctity early in the morning.
As mentioned above Many religious traditions devote the pre-dawn hours to prayer and worship. It is believed that these moments of peace and mental clarity are best spent in the presence of God. But unbelievers can very well experience these times as supernatural. Don’t believe my words. This was asserted by the famous atheist philosopher of the 19th century. Arthur Schopenhauer: “Don’t shorten your morning by waking up late… Look at it as the essence of life… Each day is a little life. Every waking up and waking up brings a little birth. Every fresh morning brings a little youth. little”
Make your early morning the most transcendent time of your day by framing it in existential terms: The discomfort of waking up early testifies to how truly alive you are. And this is the first act of the day of your rebellion against death. Spend valuable time without equipment Your attention is undivided by criteria and trivial information, so you can explore in-depth thoughts about life’s big questions.
SSo much for spirit; Let’s end with a practice note. In order to make waking up before dawn a daily routine You need to make practice a habit. As a neuroscientist objectThis is a behavior controlled by the basal ganglia in the brain. That means it takes enough repetition to become automatic. It is not a conscious daily choice. How long will it take to set up? British academics are studying habit formation. meet This will vary from person to person: to achieve 95 percent automation, or anything from 18 to 254 days.
For those of us who enjoy the morning This means that your pre-dawn routine will start to become an important part of your life by the end of January. For night owls, this may take until sometime in September. I’m definitely the latter. And many mornings I felt terrible about getting out of my warm bed when it was still dark. But it was worth it: The Brahman Muhurta Now is the best time of my day.
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