My 5AM Morning Routine: How to Get the Most out of Every Day

Have you ever wished that there were more hours in the day? Or wondered how you could be more productive with your time? Do you feel you are fighting against time as you try to get the most out of your day? Here’s my secret weapon.

Time is a very valuable resource, especially now that I am a mother in addition to all my other responsibilities. I need to pack so much more into every day now.

So I have been trying to start my day a little earlier! I will caveat this right from the beginning; I can only force myself out of bed at 5AM if the wee one was in bed and asleep before 9PM the night before, and we’ve all had a good night’s rest!

When I do manage to get up early, it completely transforms my day. Here’s a breakdown of what I can achieve during that extra hour.

05.00 – 05.20

Still bleary-eyed, I make sure I sit up and get my feet on the floor as soon as I hear the alarm. This removes any temptation hit the snooze button and roll over.

The first task is to head outside and let the hens and ducks out. I also aim to quickly sweep out the duck house, and top up their feeders, drinking water and the ducks’ paddling pool.

05.20 – 05.40

I come back indoors and take care of any quick jobs, such as feeding the rabbit and emptying the dishwasher. I just want to make sure that the house is ready for the day!

05.40 – 06.00

I then sit down with my journal and a big glass of water, to set my intentions for the day and spend some time in quiet reflection. I set out my top 3 goals that I want to accomplish. I then consider a “B-list” of jobs that I could move onto if the main targets are all completed in good time.

I also take a few minutes for affirmations and gratitudes, to get my day going on a positive note.

Usually by this time, the baby is starting to stir. I have just enough time to get dressed and make a pot of tea, and then the day really begins in earnest!

The Benefits of Early Rising

I have always been a morning person. I find the morning is the most productive time of day for me, so my preference if to front-load my day with any important tasks or jobs that need to be done. Mentally, having a few items ticked off my To-Do List really helps me to get started on the right foot.

While there are so many things I love about motherhood, I get a lot less time to myself now. Knowing that I have a little chunk of protected time for myself at the start of my day is good self-care. I just wouldn’t get time to reflect on recent events or plan out my day if I left this until later.

Similarly, all the jobs I get done during this time all need to be tackled every day. They would be challenging to do later in the day with a hungry, angry baby in tow.

The Drawbacks of Rising Early

I am sure that the night owls among us would be horrified at the idea of waking at 5AM! It certainly does come at the expense of a little extra sleep, and with that, any prospect of early morning snuggles with the other half.

Are you a morning person or a night owl? Could you solve your need for an extra hour in the day by getting up a little earlier? Leave me a comment and let me know!