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Wake earlier to be happier

Get up earlier to squeeze in exercise, catch up on news or pursue a personal passion - all before your working day starts. Photography Thinkstock

A screaming alarm clock at 5am isn't something you'd normally associate with happiness but rising earlier could be the start of a new lease on life.

For Laura Vanderkam, time management expert and author of What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, happiness and success is largely based on time - prioritising it, protecting it and, most importantly, enjoying it.

Her research shows that more times than not, rising early and setting aside the first hours in your day to tackle your top-priority tasks - as well as managing your time on the weekend equally - is the key to happiness in your personal life and success in your professional life. In a poll of top US executives, Vanderkam found that they all shared at least one thing in common - rising before dawn to get things done.

She notes PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, who wakes at 4 am and is in the office no later than 7 am and Disney CEO Bob Iger gets up at 4.30am to read. Maybe they took a leaf from Margaret Thatchers book - she rose every morning at 5am.

And she encourages us to do the the same - give or take a few minutes.

"The reason to institute a morning routine is that mornings are a great time to do things that matter to you, and that life has a way of crowding out," she says on her blog.

Whether it's for pursuing a passion (say, a personal blog), catching up on news, getting in some exercise or taking time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast with your loved ones, getting up early is a great way to action your to-do list or indulge in some 'me' time. Just make sure the time you carve out is spent well.

"Plenty of organisational experts will tell you to choose your outfit the night before...But this doesn’t necessarily save time. It just moves the decision about what to wear to a different time. Worst case scenario? You spend more time deciding what to wear because you have more time. A better approach is to streamline your closet into limited options that all look good on you."

A 2012 University of Toronto study of night owls and early risers supports the theory, finding morning-type people tended to say they felt healthier than did night owls. "The researchers said this could be because they are getting better sleep since they are naturally morning people. It could not only make them feel more alert, but actually impact their immune system," says study author Renee Biss, a psychology researcher at the University of Toronto.

"We don’t know why this is, but there are a few potential explanations. Evening people may be more prone to social jet lag; this means that their biological clock is out of sync with the social clock," Bliss said.

Personal trainer and health coach Lee Sutherland wasn't always an early bird but grumbling through the initial horror of an early-morning alarm has given her a new lease on life.

"Sure waking up early might be hard initially, but once your eyes are open your to the endless possibilities of what you can achieve before 9am... well you will be hooked! Studies have shown morning people are often more positive, more optimistic and more likely to experience satisfaction in their lives and there is a reason for that: stealing a few extra hours in the morning gives you that much needed 'you' time (especially if you have a family) and before you typical '9-5' schedule kicks in. You can finally try mediation, read that book you have been eyeing off, exercise or prepare a nourishing meal which will then boost your mood and help combat fatigue throughout the day. It is such a simple act which helps eliminate stress."

And as far as exercise is concerned - no excuses! Try one of our 15-minute workouts to wake yourself up and blast some kJs before your day begins.

Related:

How to have the perfect weekend
Rise and shag: Why morning sex is good for you
Get a better night's sleep: Take our sleep quiz!