5 THINGS THAT 5AM RISERS ARE DOING (THAT YOU CAN DO, TOO)
I feel like this post needs an immediate disclaimer(s):
Waking up early (5am or otherwise) is not some superpower that you have to have in order to be a badass, conquer the day, be successful, be ambitious, etc., etc. etc.
Waking up early is also not morally superior, no matter what some influences will tell you.
This is absolutely NOT about convincing you that you need to wake up early. You do you. Okay, now, moving on…
The “5am routine” has a pretty great PR team – right up there with the current execs running the campaigns on protein, peptides, and electrolytes. They make getting up at the 5 o’clock hour look calm, productive, and put together. There is a narrative around getting up early that tells the story of waking up early and everything clicking into place: workouts, meals, meditation, journaling, consistency…
What I want to tell you, though, (and maybe you’ll feel a little relief with this?) is that it’s not *really* about the time on the alarm clock. Instead, it’s more about what those people are doing well that just happens to show up in their lives at 5am.
So let’s break this down, because if we zoom out, the habits (exercise, time spent dedicated to a hobby or personal project, “me” time, etc.) that “work” at 5am can work at 7am or 8pm, too, when they’re built with intention. (So maybe the title of this blog post feels click-bait-y…oops.)
1 | PEOPLE WHO GET UP AT 5AM REDUCE DECISION FATIGUE
Early mornings tend to come with fewer inputs, like texts, emails, and competing demands (of family, work, school, all the things!). This lower level of inputs means fewer decisions that need to be made. And generally speaking, the less decisions that need to be made, the more of a breeding ground that exists for consistency. From a nutrition standpoint, this might look like:
Having a go-to breakfast
Knowing what your first meal of the day might look like (or have a rotating cast of options)
Having a plan (loose or strict) of what happens for the first couple of hours of the day
It’s not really about the early wake-up here, it’s about having fewer decisions to make, especially as the day is kicking off. And it’s not about having the “perfect” plan – it’s about having a plan that reduces the number of choices you need to make in real time.
2 | PEOPLE WHO GET UP AT 5AM CREATE A MORE CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT
At 5am, the world is quieter. There are fewer distractions, fewer interruptions from others, and fewer people needing something from you.
This naturally creates an environment where there is less friction between you and the things that you want to do. It’s not really about discipline or motivation here (we know that can be finicky), but rather about your thoughtful design.
When your environment supports your behavior, you don’t have to rely on willpower nearly as much. For you, that might not be at 5am, it might be:
Right after you get home from school or work
During your lunch break
30 minutes after your kids are in bed
The question doesn’t need to be “how do I wake up earlier;” it can be “when/what time of day does my life feel least chaotic, and how can I use that time intentionally?”
3 | PEOPLE WHO GET UP AT 5AM START THE DAY WITH INTENTION (NOT REACTION)
One of the biggest differences I see from clients, friends, and family that wake up early vs. not are that those that intentionally get up early tend to choose their first action of the day, instead of their first action choosing them.
I want you to check in with yourself really quickly: what’s the first thing you do when you open your eyes (and maybe the 3-5 things that follow)? Are those things for you or for someone(s) else? And are they planned (intentional) or part of a domino effect (reactionary)?
And now imagine what it might look and feel like to start your day with something intentional (no matter how big or small). It doesn’t have to be a full-blown routine, just something that you are choosing to do, and not a default response to something else.
4 | PEOPLE WHO GET UP AT 5AM BUILD MOMENTUM EARLY
If there is a case for shifting your day’s timeline and becoming a morning person, this is the one. There’s something powerful about getting a small win early in the day, because it creates momentum. And the thing with momentum is that once you’ve done one thing (and it can be anything that aligns with your identity and goals!), it becomes easier to do the next. We know with the science of behavior change that the more reps that you put in over time, the more “I followed through once” becomes → “I’m someone who follows through.” OOF. That identity shift matters so much more than any single action.
The key here (at 5am or any other time of day) isn’t doing more; it’s doing the small thing enough that you can repeat it consistently. Play the long game here: momentum is going to beat out motivation, every time.
5 | PEOPLE WHO GET UP AT 5AM SET THEMSELVES UP THE NIGHT BEFORE
People don’t just wake up at 5am and magically have their life together. (I know this to be true because I am someone who wakes up at 5am, and I absolutely do not have my life together!) There’s usually some level of preparation behind the scenes. (I know this to be true, too, because of what I do in the evenings to make my mornings run smoother.)
Good mornings are often the byproduct of thoughtful evenings. If your alarm is going off early to:
Exercise? Maybe you’re laying out the outfit you’re going to wear, and putting your water bottle and a snack on the kitchen counter.
Dedicate time to a hobby? Perhaps you’re setting out the supplies you need before you go to bed.
Relish in some “me” time before the rest of your house wakes up? This might look like having a coffee mug out next to the coffee maker, or your journal flagged for the next page.
It could also mean wiping down your counters and “resetting” the kitchen the night before to set up the next day; or packing your lunch the night before; maybe even getting your work bag or your kid’s backpack packed up to check one thing off the morning list. Like controlling your environment, it’s about perfection (it’s never about perfection!) – it’s about reducing friction for your future self.
SO…
Do you need to wake up at 5am? Nope.
What you do need are the ingredients (the habits, routines, and behaviors) that tend to come with being an early riser. You need fewer decisions, a supportive environment, intentional starting points, small wins, and a little bit of preparation.
If 5am fits your life and you enjoy it (or enjoy its benefits enough that you’re willing to make it part of your life 🙋🏻♀️) – great. If it doesn’t, I don’t think it’s something that you need to “fix.” Your goal here isn’t to copy/paste someone else’s routine into your life (lookin’ at you if you’re trying to replicate an influencer’s life…), it’s to build a set of routines that actually work with your life, your schedule, and your current season.
Consistency doesn’t come from waking up earlier (though it might help!). Consistency comes from making habits easier to follow through on, no matter what time the clock says.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Does this blog post resonate with you? At Front Porch Nutrition, I coach real people through real-life nutrition — thinking through what your wants, needs, and goals are, and working together to make changes that last not just in the moment, but for the long haul. Get started with 1:1 nutrition coaching today!
