With the abundance of ‘5 apps you need in your life’ and ‘6 tips to make your work day more efficient’ articles out there, it seems like we’re all on a mission to be more productive with our days.
But the answer could really be as simple as what your Mum was telling you all along: the early bird gets the worm.
Research suggests that individuals who rise earlier achieve more than those who hit snooze.
The research
A 2009 study conducted at a Texas University found that students who were classified as ‘morning people’ – i.e. were early risers and felt themselves to be more productive in the mornings had a grade point average that was a full point higher than those who were not early risers, and felt more productive in the evenings.
It was thought that one of the reasons the early risers were more successful academically is not only for the obvious reason (they woke up early and were able to study more in the daytime as a result), but because early risers tended to be more disciplined and organised – hence their active decision to wake early, for the sake of fitting more into their day.
A study at the University of Toronto found that morning people tend to feel happier with their life overall, as opposed to evening people, and this could be because they don’t have to fight against their natural biorhythms, unlike evening-folk who feel unhappy when they wake up for ‘business hours’ on a week day. Why is this significant? Well, one study from the University of Warwick showed that participants who were happy were significantly more productive than their unhappy counterparts.
To drive the point home (but with a less scientific backing), consider the following entrepreneurs: Virgin CEO Richard Branson, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer all have one thing in common. They are awake by 5:15am, and consider this essential for their productivity.
So, if we all just wake up earlier, will we be more successful?
Not necessarily.
One biologist conducted a study with university students, and found that individuals tend to either peak in the mornings or evenings, depending on their natural biorhythms – which are mostly genetic, and very difficult to shift.
Changing your natural biorhythm can be attempted, but complete change is difficult and unlikely.
So- how do you become more productive if you’re not a morning person?
Well, the issue doesn’t necessarily lie with you, but the traditional work force, suggesting that workplaces need to rethink their typical 9-5 schedule and begin to adapt to the needs of workers, with later start times, in order to enhance productivity.
For now, the best you can do is attempt to slightly change your own biorhythm by pushing yourself to wake up 30 minutes earlier than you normally would, and slowly condition yourself to earlier starts.
Alternatively, it could be time to consider a career that will be more flexible to your natural biorhythms.
