Why I’ve Decided to Wake Up at 5am Every Day and How it has Transformed My Day

I’ve always been a morning person, but certainly not a 5am kind of morning person. More like a 7am morning person. I thrive in the mornings, feeling my most productive and, if approached right, allowing my day to progress from a place of calm and optimism.

And then I had kids…

To the parents out there, I’m sure you know where I’m headed. To those without kids, or perhaps fur children who wake up with an abundance of energy, let me explain.

Now I certainly know of parents whose kids wake up at wonderfully reasonable hours, like 8am, but I am not one of those fortunate moms. My babies are pretty much awake and looking to conquer the world at 6am. And I’ve found that, by allowing myself to “sleep in” until they wake up, I lose control of my morning. By waking up with your kids, you are pretty much forced to go from 0 to 100 in seconds.

The result of this was that I was all too frequently finding myself starting my day frustrated, impatient and slightly resentful. Mornings used to be a quiet, ease-into-the-day, informal ritual. With my 2 babies, they are instead chaotic, trying-to-keep-up, and impersonal. I was losing the calm that I felt I needed to begin my day with.

So, what is the solution? If my kids wake up at 6…I will have to wake up at 5.

Its that simple.

After 22 months of chaotic starts to my days, I finally realised that the answer was simply to retake control of my mornings – to give myself an hour of personal time, choosing to start my day off in exactly the way that I choose to.

I have been doing this since the beginning of the year and, let me tell you, it has been a game changer. In the 10 days that have lapsed of 2019, I have become increasingly protective over my evolved morning rituals. They have become sacred.

By the time my babas wake up, I feel so much more ready to meet them. I have lost the resentment entirely and instead welcome them into my day with love and enthusiasm. The calm I cultivate through my several step morning ritual is being transferred to my children; something I always want to be able to guide them with.

If you are interested, I have written out exactly how my morning ritual goes. It has evolved since Jan 1, adding small details here and there. It is now, as I’ve said several times, a ritual that I repeat exactly the same every morning.

My morning ritual

• Wake at 5.
• Unroll my yoga mat and put music on (typically classical or other instrumental music. I am obsessed with Ludovico Einaudi at the moment)
• Light the fire (winter specific of course)
• Light my incense of choice (I typically go for something grounding and peace evoking, like Amber or Juniper)
• Do about 20 minutes of yoga (this I mix up depending on what my body needs. Sometimes I add in strength work, other times I simply do several flowing Sun As)
• Short meditation (typically only about 10 minutes. I’ve researched mudras and typically use Shuni, to cleanse emotions and thoughts, or Rudra, to energise and empower). I am new to meditation, so I do my best to keep focused. I often will include a mantra to help me, such as inhale gratitude, exhale peace – or whatever I need that day/season.
• Pack mat away
• Make tea
• As the kettle boils, I write down something I am grateful for and place it in the grateful jar
• I also write down something I need to let go of and place it in the purge jar (see pic below)
• Also, as the kettle boils, I step outside and take a few breaths. I place my hands in Anjali Mudra (for gratitude and respect) and express gratitude for being able to wake up another day.
• I then sit by the fire with my tea and read my Meditations from the Mat book. This is a 365 readings book, so it is a short read each day. I will often read more than 1, depending on how much my brain is connecting to what I am reading that day.
• Finally, I will sit and write for as long as the babies give me. If there is nothing to write about that day, I opt for something else creative, like playing the piano (its electric so I can turn the volume down or use headphones)

Some tips and tricks

• I do not allow myself to look at my phone at all during this hour – zero social media, Whatsapp or emails. This will surely break the focus and peace.
• Getting up earlier than usual is hard and, yes, I have turned my alarm off and rolled over to go back to sleep. I did this once and, after realising how much of a difference my 5am ritual makes, I haven’t done it since. However, I’m sure I will at some point…I’m human. All that being said, try not to let your brain overthink the getting up. If you start thinking about it, you will undoubtedly come up with reasons not to get up.
• Another getting up trick is to place your alarm on the other side of the room so you have to get out of bed to turn it off. I would totally do this if I didn’t still have a baby sleeping in my room.
• Every day could feel different. Leave space for those differences and adapt where you can. Meet yourself where you are at, rather than where you think you should be.
• If you “mess up” and skip a day, zero judgement allowed. There is always tomorrow to get up and try again.
• Whatever you are including in your routine, ensure that all of it is stuff you enjoy and look forward to. If you enjoy what you are doing, you are far more likely to continue doing it.

The things that transform us are often the things that place us in some kind of discomfort. We grow when we are challenged. Waking at 5 is both simple and challenging. However, through the discomfort I am finding peace and that, after all, was the original goal.

Thank you for reading, beautiful humans.

Tara