The 5 am Morning Routine That Will Elevate Your Life!

Last Updated June 27, 2024 by Davina Kelly

Are you looking for 5 am morning routine ideas to set you up for success? Lucky for you, I have the best 5 am morning routine for you to follow.

Waking up early is a key factor in success, but more importantly, how you structure your morning routine will set the tone for your day.

As someone who has started waking up at 5 am, I will share my tips on how to wake up early, along with a productive morning routine.

This post is all about a 5 am morning routine.

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Productive 5 am Morning Routine

“It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom.” Aristotle

I wrote this post because I was inspired by the book The 5 AM Club. If you want to learn more in-depth about how waking up at 5 am can change your life I highly recommend you read the book.

Drink a Glass Of Water

Drinking water first thing in the morning will rehydrate your body. Your body will be dehydrated after sleeping all night so it is important to hydrate when you wake up.

It will also help you to wake up and feel more alert. 

I know a lot of people love to have coffee in the morning and that is fine, but I recommend having a glass of water first before having any caffeine.

Let In Natural Light

Exposing your body to light in the morning will tell your brain it is time to wake up! Our body’s internal system follows the circadian rhythm’s sleep-wake cycle. It associates light with being awake so letting light in will help your body know it is wake-up time! You can read more about the circadian rhythm here.

Once you wake up open your blinds to let in the natural light. If it is still dark outside when you wake up you can turn on the lights. 

Reflect

Making time for reflection in the morning will do wonders for your mindset. It can help to improve your focus and concentration, give you a sense of calm, reduce anxiety, and help you to be more productive.

Here are some examples of ways you can do this.

• Pray

• Meditate

• Journal

• Sit in silence and think

Choose the option that works best for you and aligns with the way you want to feel. For example, I like to meditate because it helps to focus my thoughts. 

Feed Your Mind

One of the best things you can do early in the morning is feed your mind. Making time to do something that will stimulate your mind and deepen your knowledge will make you invaluable.

During this time you can read a book, listen to a podcast, study or work on your business or side hustle. 

Move Your Body

Moving your body in the morning is a game-changer! If you start your day by practicing self-discipline you will feel accomplished and set yourself up for a productive day.

Exercising is important for your body, but it will also benefit your mind.

When you exercise you release endorphins which make you feel good, this will improve your mood throughout the day. It will also give you more energy and alertness and you are more likely to make healthy food choices throughout the day. Choose an exercise that you enjoy doing.

Here are some examples.

• Yoga

• Go for a walk

• Run

• Spin class

• Weight training

• Skip

• Pilates

I recommend thinking about your energy expenditure when you choose an exercise. For example, spin class is high-intensity and can make you feel tired throughout the rest of the day. Whereas Yoga is low intensity you are unlikely to feel tired after. This is just something to keep in mind when choosing an exercise.

Eat a Balanced Breakfast

Your first meal of the day should be a balanced nutritious meal. I always heard people say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and used to overlook it. But now that I have adapted to living a healthy lifestyle I understand why.

Eating a healthy meal in the morning will replenish your blood sugar levels, provide you with the energy you need throughout the day, and improve your concentration and focus. 

A healthy breakfast includes all of the macronutrients such as protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Including these in your meal will keep you full and satisfied throughout the day.

Here are some examples of healthy balanced breakfasts.

• Avocado toast with a boiled egg

• Oatmeal with peanut butter

• Breakfast wrap with sauteed eggs and vegetables

Benefits Of Waking Up at 5 am

When you wake up at 5 am you are giving yourself a headstart on the day. Most of the world is still asleep at 5 am, so if you wake up at this time you will have time to work on yourself with no distractions.

Waking up early is one of the most common habits of successful people and I understand why. There is value in making time to work on yourself in the morning. 

Everything is quiet at that time of the morning so it is the perfect time to pour into yourself. You can use this time to pray, journal, meditate, anything that helps focus your mind. 

If you are someone who is ambitious and has goals you want to achieve you will need time to work on them. Waking up at 5 am will allow you to do this without being disturbed. 

I love this quote by Les Brown “You must be willing to do the things today others won’t do in order to have the things tomorrow others won’t have” This is so true, if you want to reach your goals and be successful you have to be willing to do what others won’t like waking up early.

How To Wake Up at 5 am

Have a Night Routine

To wake up early you need to have a solid night routine, it all starts the night before. The most important thing you need to do is ensure that you get enough sleep. 

Everyone is different, but it is generally recommended that adults sleep between 7 – 9 hours a night. Based on this you need to be in bed by 10 pm at the latest to wake up at 5 am.

Before you get into bed I recommend creating a night routine. This can be one or two activities you do an hour before you go to bed. You can make this as simple or romantic as you want lol 

For example, you could have a shower and read a book or you can have a candle-lit bubble bath and meditate every night before bed. Doing this consistently will train your brain to know it is time to get ready for bed. I have a post that will help you to create a night routine, you can read it here. 

If you practice your night routine and go to bed at the same time every night you will be able to have sufficient rest and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to start your day.

Plan The Night Before

Planning your day the night before will give you fewer decisions to make in the morning. When you wake up that early your brain won’t be functioning properly and decision fatigue is a real thing. So why not wake up already knowing what you have to do that day? 

You can take 15 minutes to sit down in the evening and write a to-do list for the next day. Keep this simple just focus on your priorities for the day as you don’t want to feel overwhelmed. If you plan for the week you can just read through your tasks for the next day.

Set up Your Environment

Setting up your environment is a small bit mighty tip for waking up early. Whatever you need in the morning lay it out the night before.

For example, right now it is super cold, so I need my slippers and robe when I wake up to make me feel warm. So the night before I will hang my robe on my wardrobe and put my slippers next to my bed so it is easy for me to access it in the morning.

Think about what you will need in the morning and lay it out. For example, if you work out in the morning lay out your workout clothes. If you enjoy reading in the morning leave your book on your nightstand.

Do Not Snooze

When your alarm goes off at 5 am I know it can be tempting to hit snooze, trust me I have been there lol but don’t do it! 

It may help in the moment, but it won’t help you in the long term, the best thing to do is get up. You can sit up and give yourself a minute to wake up properly but don’t snooze or go back to sleep. 

Have Something To Look Forward To

Including something to look forward to as part of your 5 am morning routine can help to motivate yourself when waking up early. Think of it like a reward for showing up for yourself.

It can be something simple like listening to your favourite playlist while exercising, making a breakfast that you enjoy or reading a book you are enjoying.

Know Your Why

Before you decide to start waking up at 5 am it is important to have a clear understanding of your reason why. Waking up at 5 am is trendy right now, you see all of the aesthetic 5 am morning routine videos on social media and they look amazing. But if that is your reason you won’t stick to it. 

You need to ask yourself why you want to wake up at 5 am? Why is it important to you? What do you hope to achieve by creating a 5 am morning routine? 

Whether you want to create a 5 am morning routine before work to have some time for yourself or you want to make time to work on your side hustle. Knowing your why is crucial. 

Once you know the answers to these questions it will keep you motivated and disciplined because your morning routine will be aligned with the outcome you want to achieve. 

Be Realistic

When you are trying to make changes to your lifestyle it is common to want to make big overnight changes. The intentions are good, but it doesn’t always work. 

The best thing you can do is understand what works for you and use that as a guide to work with instead of against yourself. 

For example, if you are not a morning person it is unrealistic to go from waking up at 8 am to 5 am overnight. Taking this approach will set you up to fail and you will lose motivation and give up

Instead, you should start gradually waking up early until you get to 5 am. You can start waking up half an hour earlier every two weeks until you reach your desired time. This will make the process easier and give your body time to adjust. 

The 5 am Club Book

I couldn’t talk about having a 5 am morning routine without mentioning the book. I was sceptical about reading it at first, but I am happy I gave it a try. 

The book is about more than waking up at 5 am. It delves into mindset, personal development and unlocking your fullest potential. It also goes into the importance of health and the value of time.

I liked that the book was written in a story format rather than just information. I found myself getting attached to the main character of the story. Don’t worry I won’t give any spoilers, lol but I will share some highlights.

• If you own your morning you will elevate your life

• Good sleep is essential to waking up at 5 am

• Avoid distractions, focus your time in the morning to work on yourself

• Be consistent with your habits this is how you build discipline

• Create a 20/20/20 Formula that works for you

Frequently Asked Questions

What Should I Do In a 5AM Morning Routine?

In a 5 am morning routine, you should make time for yourself and do things to help set you up for a successful day. 

I have given an example of a 5 am morning routine in this post that you can follow. If it doesn’t work for you, you can use it as a template and adjust it to align with your goals. 

What Is The 20 20 20 Rule In The 5AM Club?

The 20/20/20 rule is a formula in the book the 5 am club that is given to help you manage your morning routine. Here is the framework for the formula.

5 am – 5 20 am Move

In the book, the author recommends you move your body by doing intense exercise that will make you sweat and breathe deeply. The benefits of this are an increase in dopamine and elevated metabolism. Also more focus and productivity, less stress, and a longer life.

5 20 – 5 40 am Reflect

In this 20-minute interval, you should reflect by doing the following activities.

• Meditate

• Pray

• Journal

• Practice gratitude

• Plan

Performing these activities will increase productivity, decrease reactivity and lead to a richer life.

5 40 – 6 am Grow

In these 20 minutes of the 5 am morning routine, you will do activities to enhance your growth. See the list of activities below.

• Read

• Listen to audiobooks

• Listen to a podcast

• Learn and watch inspirational videos

These activities will inspire you, motivate you, and make you undefeatable in your industry.

Final Thoughts

Creating a 5 am morning routine will give you time in the morning for yourself and to work on your goals without being distracted.

Waking up early will create more time, but it is important to have a routine that works for you and is aligned with your goals. 

It is important to have a clear understanding of why you want to wake up at 5 am and what you want to achieve. This is what will keep you motivated to stick to your routine even when you are struggling to get out of bed. If you own your morning you will elevate your life. 

Have you found this 5 am morning routine helpful? What does your morning routine look like?

This post is all about a 5 am morning routine.

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