5:00 AM Wake up Challenge
5 things I've learnt from waking up at 5:00 AM!
One of my new year’s goals was to challenge myself more in different ways. I decided I want to have a set morning routine and to wake up earlier to start building a new habit for the new year. I challenged myself to waking up at 5 am for a whole week to see what all the hype is about.
Down below, I've listed five lessons I've learnt waking up at 5:00 am.
Lesson # 1: Don't hit Snooze.
I was super excited to start this challenge. In the beginning, I was so motivated to wake up at five that I did not hit snooze at all. It resulted in a great morning which translated to a productive and less anxious day.
However, I felt like my productivity levels dropped mid-week and I would slowly start to snooze my alarm and I felt like my energy levels were dropping. Once I decided to hit snooze more than once, I would continue to sleep and I would just wake up five minutes before work started. As a result, my anxiety kicked in due to the rush I have in the morning, the overwhelming of incomplete tasks, and losing hours of solitude. It affected my productivity and motivation, so don’t hit snooze.
Lesson # 2: Solitude.
I had four hours to myself every single day. As an introvert, it was the best thing to recharge and have complete silence instead of interacting with the same people everyday since the pandemic started. It helped with the anxiety and my mental health. I felt calm and at peace, a great way to set the tone of the day
Lesson # 3: Create your own personalized morning routine.
I took this time to hone down on my morning routine. I took the time to see what I liked, what I disliked, and build a routine that will give me peace and energy to conquer the rest of my day.
My morning routine consisted of the following:
- Dim lights for the mood and ambience
- Spend 10 minutes learning a new language to activate my brain
- Do some light reading to stimulate my brain
- Mediate
- Journal
- 10 min yoga session.
Create a morning routine specialised for you.
Lesson # 4. Waking up at 5:00 am does not equal Productivity.
When I started this challenge, my initial thoughts were targeted at productivity. I was hoping it would increase my productivity, but that’s not the case. Everyday is a different day, with different sleep schedules, different emotions, and different challenges. Some days, you just want to be unproductive and that is okay.
Instead of thinking it will guarantee me a productive day and a head start, waking up early gives me sacred time where I can just focus on myself.
Lesson # 5: Willpower.
I probably won’t be waking up at 5:00 am everyday, I will tailor to what my body wants and when I feel the most refreshed. Reflecting back, willpower is a great strength. I am proud that I pushed through and completed the challenge. Willpower gave me a sense of empowerment and the confidence to believe in myself instead of constantly doubting myself. And, my overall goal for 2021 is Self-Love. This challenge gave me that by allowing me to believe in myself and that I can do it.