I know there are countless articles on waking up at 5 am already. You might say, ‘Oh, here’s another article on waking up at 5 am’ when you see this. But do not give up on this article. I promise you; it will be worth it.
There was a time in my life when I was struggling to finish anything. I had so many dreams and plans but I simply could not reach them. The justification was always the same, that I did not have enough time to do it all. The whole situation got to a moment where I struggled to wake up even around 2 pm.
I also used to work remotely so my whole experience just got worse and worse. There was a day when I accidentally stumbled upon an article that detailed the disadvantages of working late hours. This is when I decided to change my lifestyle. The first (and now looking back, the most important one) was to wake up at 5 am.
What changed when I started waking up at 5 am?
- Connecting with myself
I always used to be a person in hurry. I would never take the time to reflect and slow down which eventually led to me developing anxiety disorders. I felt anxious with regards to everything in my life which affected my overall health. Waking up at 5 am changed this.
When I woke up this early, I had time to pause and enjoy the silence the early morning offers. I started doing meditations which helped me rediscover my purpose in life and the goals I was working towards. These sessions did not have to be long, so I always took 10-15 minutes but they changed the flow of my day entirely.
Some people start working out at that time. Recently, I have started doing this as well. I never train for more than an hour so when I finish by 6 am, it is such a great way of starting the day. I feel fresh and energetic to start the day.
- More time to work towards my goals
Waking up at 5 am means that I have more time working on my projects and goals. I managed to do everything I planned for the day and feel fulfilled at the end of the day. An additional tip that helped me to better organize my day was to create a to-do list. Even though I leave space for surprises during the day, I try to organize my day as specifically as I can. So, waking up at 5 am and having a to-do list has greatly shaped the way I live my life.
- Better overall health
As soon as I started waking up at 5 am, I noticed a huge shift on my daily energy. I became much more positive and energetic and this showed in all my relationships, including that with myself. I had more time to spend quality time with my loved ones and when I was with them, I could be present 100% and not be thinking about the things I have to catch up on. I also started to be kinder to myself. As I was giving my 100% throughout the day, I could better appreciate my efforts to make things happen and if something was not done completely the way I wanted to, then it became easier to forgive myself.
What if you are a night owl?
Do not worry. I used to be the same. I loved late nights, especially for reading or watching Netflix. And I also thought that I simply function better during the nights. To be honest, there might be people who can function much better during the nights. The turning point for me was that I felt much healthier and better throughout the day when I woke up early. This is when I realized that waking up early is better for my health. But if working late nights works better for you then keep doing that!
Final Thoughts
Deciding to wake up at 5 am was the most transformative decision of my life. It changed the way I felt, the relationships I had with myself and my loved ones, and my overall health. It helped me start the journey to achieve my dreams and plans that I always wanted to. So, try waking up at 5 am and see how your life changes.