Why I Run Before Work & Why You Could Benefit From Something Similar
As a runner, I train five times a week with three of those sessions taking place before I step into the office. I speak for myself and those who take up personal activities before work.
A few years back I read the novel, The Richest Man in Babylon. The 1926 book by George S. Clason, offers financial advice through a collection of parables set 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon. The book remains in print almost a century after the parables were originally published, and is regarded as a classic of personal financial advice. One of the standout points in the novel being, “Pay yourself first”. You can only build wealth if you learn to pay yourself first, i.e. save some of your income. You pay others for goods and services all the time. Learn to pay yourself before you pay others.
Drawing inspiration from the book I came to realise that just like money, our time should be spent first on ourselves before we spend it on others. By running before I step into the office I dedicate time to myself before I spend it on others, before the demands of the day consume my energy and I get home feeling worn out and unable to invest in my aspirations.
A misconception of exercising before work is that you’ll feel fatigued at 08:00 when you start the day at your desk. In fact, I feel the opposite. I feel energised and alert by the time the workday arrives. Post-run endorphin levels are high and I’m ready for the demands that come.
I have also come to find that my sleep quality has improved when I run before work. By bedtime, I feel truly tired and fall into deep sleep far easier. I feel fully charged by the time my alarm goes off early the next morning. On nights when I had not run earlier that morning, I’m more prone to feel the need to watch TV or scroll down the treadmill of social media beyond the time I should be asleep because I still feel wide awake.
Perhaps you’re less interested in running? Your prework routine could really be anything that brings you a sense of fulfilment. Meditation, reading, walking the dog or something else. My recommendation is to simply try it and stay consistent. The early alarm clock soon becomes the song of a new opportunity to reward yourself. Soon your new morning routine becomes something you crave and something that your body and mind will end up thanking you for.
We all have 24hrs in the day, spend them wisely, spend some on yourself, FIRST.
