“People who get up early in the morning are hitting it out of the park, doing things we struggle with at other times of the day,” he says. “If we can be amazing at certain times of the day there must be associated psychological conditions. Morning offers several benefits that can’t be found at other times of the day.”
Shifting your schedule might take some adjustment, but it’s worth it. Here are four productivity-related advantages that naturally occur in the morning:
1. YOU HAVE MORE ENERGY
Doing your best work means managing your mental energy, and you automatically have more mental energy in the morning when you wake up, says Davis.
“Even if you didn’t sleep great but enough, you probably have much more mental energy to willfully refocus and let things go that don’t matter,” he says. “You can think creatively and have more capacity to use your prefrontal cortex instead of being on autopilot.”
2. YOU HAVE FEWER DECISIONS TO MAKE
Working during the early morning offers the bonus that it’s before regular business hours. “There is an unwritten agreement that you’re not responsible for being reactive until nine a.m. or even 10 a.m.,” says Davis. “You don’t have to do the things that drain mental energy, like making a lot of small decisions.”
3. YOU CAN STOP FIGHTING DISTRACTIONS
Our minds are designed to pick up on what’s changing around us, and sheer willpower isn’t enough to stay focused, says Davis. “When your mind starts drifting, typically we approach it with, ‘What’s wrong with me?'” he says, adding that this is the time that we often succumb to unproductive distractions, such as Facebook, email or talking with a coworker.
4. YOU CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CALM
From clutter to noise, a typical workplace is booby-trapped with mental distractors, says Davis. “Our desks often hold the things we need to do for ourselves or for someone else,” he says. “They grab your attention and are mentally taxing to think about because of their importance to us. This sabotages your ability to focus.”