What I Love about My 5 AM Morning Ritual

I was born an early riser, and I wake up happy. My parents tell stories of how I sang to a bluebird outside my window every morning. I know, I know. Gross. But don’t worry - you’re not the only one annoyed with me. (Ask my friends - I’m not a fan favorite as a vacation roommate). Even as a teen, my preferred wake-up call was 5 AM, whereas my peers preferred to sleep much later. 

I love the quiet solitude of the morning and the optimism of a new day ahead.

But somewhere along the way, I lost my ability to wake up at 5 AM regularly. As a modern woman with all the things–a busy full-time job, a fledgling writing career to foster, an indie publishing company to run, a wellness routine, advanced meditation courses, and a puppy, I had to re-evaluate where I could make space in my life to do it all or at least do more better. When you’re working corporate hours and trying to write a book, it’s hard to devote blocks of free time for the creative process. 

By New Year’s this year, I knew something had to change. I wanted to build better habits and rituals while writing my third book. Considering my work schedule, the only viable option was to get up earlier. 

How I got started

In mid-January, I fortuitously ran across a book aptly named The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma in the Cape Town airport. The title hooked me, and the principles within immediately resonated: creating abundance and manifesting things you want to accomplish by establishing sustainable morning rituals. These were already principles I was focusing on developing. 

I feel most put together when I have rituals in place. But it’s hard to implement when you’re hitting snooze five times and running out the door while tucking in your shirt, carrying your heels, and applying lip gloss. I wanted to create more space in my life for showing up as the woman I want to be – and not the frazzled version of myself I’d become. This 5 AM approach would allow me the time to meditate, journal or write, and work out before I was pulled into the craziness of the work day.

I started the new routine pretty drastically - I set my alarm to 5 AM from the start instead of taking an incremental approach. I’m regularly jet lagged from international travel, so that helped kick start waking up early! 

Forever a writer, I bought a plain journal (I didn’t want a gorgeous journal to know how many times I failed to hop out of bed!) to chronicle my new endeavor. For the first few days, I was hitting snooze twice, if not three times. (Don’t be discouraged if this happens to you! It’s completely normal to struggle a bit to get out of bed earlier, but I promise this will change.) It got easier. By day nine, I found that by day nine I was waking up even before my alarm went off. Sixty-six days in, I am happy to report that the habit is sticking!

My morning rituals

But first, let’s go through my ritual the night before, because implementing a nighttime routine sets the foundation for a successful morning. In the evenings when I don’t have commitments, I try to wind down by 8 PM. I double cleanse my face (check out Radical Radiance by Angela Kim for some inspo in the self-love/skincare arena), apply my skincare, and read a bit. I try to put my phone away when I get into bed to avoid distractions. 

I’d hardly be a modern New Yorker if I stayed in every night.

I’d hardly be a modern New Yorker if I stayed in every night. I aim to limit my social activities on school nights (ha!), committing to only one or two evenings out. It requires some planning, but I try to arrange my workouts so that getting in bed late one night doesn’t throw off my entire week.

My lovely chime alarm (Sunny on the iPhone) goes off at 5 AM every morning (no snooze)! Immediately upon waking, I put on my sweats that I set out the night before, pull out my meditation pillow, and make myself comfortable at my makeshift windowsill alter. I light a candle, do my mantras, and meditate for 20 minutes. My meditation teacher, Dr. Swami Shankardev of Big Shakti, has guided audios like this one that I love if you’d like some help getting started.

Then it’s time to feed my dog. While she eats, I make my matcha latte. One of my favorite rituals is my morning latte — on the days I don’t have it, I feel something is missing. 

I drink my tea, record the details of my meditation, and jot down important things in my day planner. I’ll quickly do some small tasks like emptying the dishwasher as well. 

Depending on the tone of the day, I work out, eat breakfast, and take my dog for a sunrise stroll. The city that never sleeps is actually so peaceful in the early morning! Then it’s time to go home and get ready. Even if I’m commuting into work, I’ve already set my intentions for the day and balanced my mind, which makes the work day less stressful and more purposeful. I can approach the day with an equanimity that was missing before my 5 AM routine and rituals.

Overall, waking up earlier has changed my life and made me feel like my old self. I no longer struggle with what used to be the hardest parts of my day— making time to work out, having structured time to write — as I do these things first thing in the morning. I also no longer struggle with my sleep anxiety. One of the best parts about waking up earlier is that sleep comes easy at night.

Tips for waking up earlier (even if you’re not a morning person!)

1. Be realistic about your schedule and who you are. Find an aspirational, but not impossible, wakeup time. If you’re someone who entertains clients well into the evening 4 nights a week, a 5 AM wakeup call might be unfathomable. Maybe getting up at 8 AM and beginning your workday a little later is more realistic for you.

2. Find something about the process you enjoy. Otherwise it’s not going to stick. Do this because it nourishes you and the person you want to become. As James Clear advises in Atomic Habits, if you want to create a new, sustainable habit, it should be: obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying. 

3. Prepare the night before. This can include setting out your workout clothes, meal prep, or getting your bag ready. It’s also what you don’t do: I used to unwind by reading thrillers or heavy dramas before sleeping. While I still love dark, twisty novels and drama series like The Handmaid’s Tale, I noticed that consuming these before bedtime wasn’t setting me up for quality sleep. Now, I read or watch these in the morning as I’m doing my cardio at the gym.

4. Identify what you struggle to make time for, and do it first thing in the morning. I find it challenging to exercise in the evening, so I prioritize it at the beginning of my day. Since I tackle the hardest tasks in the morning, I can relax in the evenings. 

5. Stay committed to the process. It’s tempting to let perfectionism get in the way. Do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.  One “off” day shouldn’t throw you off course. A little prep the night before and waking up earlier to front load your day helps with the shift. 

6. Enjoy! You’re giving yourself the gift of time. Use it wisely, and when you check in on your progress in six or twelve months, you’ll be so proud of how far you’ve come!