I Woke Up at 5 a.m. For a Month, and This is What Happened

I’m sure, by now, many people have seen videos or have heard about those people who wake up at what seems like an ungodly hour. This is mainly followed by impressive morning routines like meditation, working out, making acai bowls and living a pretty healthy-looking lifestyle overall.

Recently, I was curious to see what kind of effects a routine like this would have on my body, so naturally, I sought out the advice of various YouTubers to guide my new lifestyle change. I decided I would try waking up at 5 a.m. for a month to see if any real changes to my mentality, wellness and body would take place.

Disclaimer: I am not a morning person. I never really have been. But, I can and do appreciate a beautiful morning sunrise and that sense of tranquility when you have enough time in the morning.

The second my alarm went off at 5 a.m., I immediately regretted my decision to try this whole thing. But nonetheless, I got out of bed and tried my hardest not to crawl back under my duvet cover. I went downstairs, made myself some tea, oatmeal, and sat at the kitchen table waiting for the sun to come up — and that was definitely worth it. It was absurdly pretty and I kind of got a sense of tranquility, like I was the only person awake.

After my dad walked in and asked if I was okay (like I said, I’m not usually a morning person), I got to do whatever I wanted until I had to go to work at eight. I decided to catch up on the news, do a little reading, and figured out what I wanted to do with the rest of my day.

After a few days, I decided I wanted to fill that gap of time with either a 30-minute workout or some yoga (yoga with Adrian on YouTube was my go-to). After that, I’d get ready for work and head off.

I did all of this for a month. I found that after the first week of waking up at 5 a.m., it got easier and easier, and I began to really enjoy my mornings. I created my own routine: drink tea, make oatmeal or a smoothie, do a workout or yoga, relax, and then get ready for work.

I definitely started to feel a change to both my body and my mentality. Some benefits I found included:

1.     Having more energy throughout the day.

2.     Feeling healthier in general.

3.     Feeling more positive and willing to do more activities throughout the day.

4.     Sleeping better. (I started going to bed at around 10 so I didn’t feel absurdly tired when I woke up.)

5.     Being more productive with my days.

6.     Appreciating mornings much more, and I truly started to like them.

If you’re ever curious or interested at all in trying routines like these, I would highly suggest waking up earlier. Once you get over the first week hump, I promise waking up early gets easier and easier. It was definitely worth it, and I wouldn’t rule out trying it again once I stop procrastinating my homework.