Are Early Birds Still Catching the Worm?

'Success of the early bird': is the world getting a bit tired of that old perspective? (Pexels, Aphiwat Chuangchoem)

Early birds are more productive and punctual. And late risers are lazy. Right? An initiative in Denmark offers us a different perspective. Has the time come to embrace our true selves? We spoke with Camilla Kring: This is the story of the B-Society.

Every morning, allover the world people are jolted awake by the sudden noise of an alarm clock. This is a routine they follow nearly every day, often without giving it much thought. After all, rising early is widely regarded essential for achieving success in life. It carries a certain prestige. The earlier we wake up, the more successful, energetic, and productive our day is perceived to be. The earlier we get up, the better we are considered as a person.

But the world appears to be growing weary of that traditional viewpoint. It turns out that not everyone is naturally an early riser. And that success isn't solely tied to waking up early. Moreover, we are waking up to the notion that forcing ourselves to be an early bird isn't beneficial for everyone's health. Each of us has our own chronotype, the term experts use for our natural waking time. And more and more people are finding out that waking up according to our natural rhythm, aligning with it, can boost our productivity rather than diminish it.

Enter Camilla Kring, the founder of Denmark's B-Society. She has been striving to transform the outdated global view on early rising. She is also a specialist in applied chronobiology. "A decade ago, research in chronobiology was sparse," she told us. Today, it is even scientifically proven that genetics play a large part in determining biological rhythms."

It's Just the Way the World Works, Early Bird

Be that as it may, you might argue that the world is set up for early risers. Well, according to the B-Society, this doesn't have to be an unchangeable reality. In fact, through her own initiatives and projects, Kring has shown that a world with flexible start times is not only possible but is already happening.

Since 2006, her initiative has been helping schools, nursing homes, companies and workplaces worldwide to achieve this objective. The B-Society categorises early risers as A-persons and late risers as B-persons, promoting a change in perspective. Kring argues that it's time to abandon the conventional 9 to 5 schedule.

Silent Struggles

Kring, who considers herself a B-person, believes she has voiced the unspoken or silent challenges many B-persons have to face every day. People who allow themselves to wake up later, frequently feel unaccepted. They feel they don't fit the typical stereotypes regarding wake-up times, Kring reflected.

This is something Kring often comes across in her professional field. "I've often met dedicated and insightful journalists," she told us. "Journalists who talk about editors clinging to the clichéd portrayal of A-listers as heroes, while portraying B-persons as lazy individuals who show up late to work and need to learn to get up early."

Kring has discovered through her own work, that varying start times in public life lead to healthier and happier workers and enhance the productivity of students and schoolchildren.

"Imagine being able to manage your own time and the social schedule of the community," she said. "How would you approach this? Personally, I would provide people with as much freedom as possible to manage their work hours. I would also throw out numerous alarm clocks," she added.

"I would provide people with as much freedom as possible to manage their work hours. I would also throw out numerous alarm clocks."

Two elegant swans glide across the calm waters at dawn, prompting reflection on whether the concept of being an "early bird" retains its significance in today's world (image Femke van Iperen).

A Different Type of Society

The B-Society now boasts members across 50 countries. Numerous employers, along with Danish politicians and ministers, back the initiative. Its successful outcomes are gaining attention from both Danish and international media.

"Rewarding A-persons made sense in agricultural communities, where productivity relied on daylight activities," Kring noted. "But why should an A-person have a competitive advantage in a knowledge-based society? Where an increasing number of work tasks can be solved with or without sunlight?"

Put simply: Why do we all continue to wake up early when it's no longer necessary? When we can achieve success in our daily lives by waking up a bit later. When we might even be more productive and healthier by doing so.

The Future is Without an Alarmclock

Experts suggest that more than half of the world's population lives in urban areas. Kring is confident that her model adaptable to any city in the world. This transformation will take time because it needs changes in mindsets, structures, and institutions, as well as the intricate interplay of family, education, employment, and traffic policies.

But, argues Kring, the effort would be worthwhile as such a change would greatly benefit many lives. "My battle cry would be calm mornings for improved quality of life and enhanced productivity when we align with our biological clock," said Kring, and concluded: "A biological rhythm isn't a choice; it's innate. I will go on fighting for equality between between both early and late risers.'

"My battle cry would be calm mornings for improved quality of life and enhanced productivity when we align with our biological clock."

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About Camilla Kring

Camilla Kring established the B-Society on December 27, 2006. It now boasts members across 50 countries. Camilla Kring revolutionises corporate culture by enabling employees to manage their work and personal lives effectively. She achieves this through her consultancy, Super Navigators ApS, and the Life Navigation concept. Life Navigation includes practical and creative tools focused on time, goals, energy, and spaces, all designed to enhance productivity and quality of life.