Waking up at 5 am every day. This is what I learned.

Since March 2021, I started waking up at 5am, followed by a walk at 5.30 and when the gym opened up again, I worked out between 6am and 7am.

This all started when a friend of mine picked up a new challenge with her colleagues, walking everyday to gain points. She started these walks extremely early, 5.30, the earlier the walk the more points she earned. I decided to join her.

Now, I am five months further and have a steady regime of waking up at five, walking at 5.30 and working out 6am. It became a habit, a habit I start to love.

This is what I learned…

It is not your body that resists getting out of bed early, it is your mind.

I do not jump out of bed, with joy and excitement. It hurts, physically and mentally. Every morning I find excuses to skip the habit. Telling myself, I need sleep, my body needs time to recover, or that it makes no difference, skipping one time. The trick that works for me: promising myself, I can go back to bed, If I want to after the 30 min walk.

You need to become disciplined in your sleep routine.

Rising early means making sure you get enough sleep. How much sleep differs. I have to be very disciplined in my bedtime routine. I have to keep screens out of the bedroom and prep my clothing the night before. If you get in the spiral of not getting enough sleep while getting up early, it will become a burden.

Rising early creates mental space, and gives a you feeling of being in control.

Rising early and exercising first thing in the morning creates space in my mind. It gives time to think and be mindful. It gives me time to mentally prepare my day and reflect on choices and actions. Especially in a year of WFH, rising early and exercising gives you an head start knowing you are prepared.

I am not a morning person, I like sleeping in. But the benefits and the feeling of control I get from waking up early is priceless.