I woke up at 5 a.m. for 7 days : Here are the pros and cons I found

I usually love sleeping in on weekends, but I surprised myself by taking on a pretty unusual challenge: getting up at 5 a.m. for a whole week.

People always say the super successful folks rise and shine early to tackle their tasks. Curious to find out if embracing the early bird life could boost my productivity, that's the real scoop behind this little experiment of mine.

When it's college time, I drag myself out of bed at 6:45 a.m. But when I'm working from home, I'm more of an 8:30 a.m. roll-out-of-bed kind of person.

Starting from January 31 to February 8, I dared to set my alarm for 5 a.m. every morning, beating the sun to the punch. But, let's be real, weekends are the rebel in my routine, and the 5 a.m. wake-up call didn't stand a chance.

Now, let me spill the beans on what I liked, what actually worked, and what didn't float my boat. Plus, the big question: did this whole experiment jazz up my productivity or not?
Also, I've got some nuggets of wisdom from a psychiatrist on how to gracefully hit that 5 a.m. alarm without sacrificing your well-being.

Pros and cons of waking up at 5 a.m.
Alright, kicking things off with the positives! Waking up earlier than my usual weekday routine actually had some perks.

The pros:
Large time in solitude:
On some mornings, I just chilled in bed for a good hour or two, enjoying the quiet vibes (a luxury when you're not living solo). And bonus, I got to meditate at my own pace every day before diving into the workday hustle.

2.Increase in energy at the Beginning of the workday:
Normally, I'm half-asleep before rushing into my commute or hopping on the laptop when working from home. But this new early bird routine surprisingly gave me a burst of energy right at the start of my workday.Normally, I'm half-asleep before rushing into my commute or hopping on the laptop when working from home. But this new early bird routine surprisingly gave me a burst of energy right at the start of my workday.

3.Laundry at morning:
Seriously, knocking out laundry as my first victory in the morning was a game-changer. Also, I jumped on the gym bandwagon last week (it was on the agenda), and even though I only hit the morning routine once during the challenge, getting in and out before 8 a.m. felt pretty darn awesome.

4.Bigger Breakfasts:
Guess what? I took on the kitchen solo and whipped up my first batch of pancakes, adding eggs, fruit, and cucumber water to the breakfast party! Usually, I'm all about oatmeal for my workday mornings, maybe throwing in some eggs on a stellar day. But, as life goes, there were a few bumps in the road too.

The cons:
Going to sleep early at 9 p.m.:
When I faced the challenge, I made a rule for myself – no messing with my sleep. To stick to my usual bedtime routine, I had to hit the hay at 9 p.m. It was tough because I felt like I was skipping out on cool stuff, like missing the Grammys!

Rushing every evening:
My drive home eats up an hour, so rolling in by 6 p.m. leaves me with just three hours to shower, whip up dinner, and squeeze in anything else I fancy post-work. Need I elaborate?

Waking up earlier on weekends:
Okay, I promised no 5 a.m. wake-ups on weekends, but my body had other plans. Ended up rising at 7 or 8 a.m. instead. Sure, it made me crash earlier than usual, snoozing before 11 p.m. both days. Overall, the pros win, though I'm not committing to 5 a.m. tomorrow.

Let's discuss about the bonus that I talked before

Tips for shifting to a 5 a.m. wake-up, from a psychiatrist
Dr. Anisha Patel-Dunn, a psychiatrist and big shot at LifeStance Health, spills the beans – getting up at 5 a.m. can be a real game-changer!

"Here's the scoop from Dr. Patel-Dunn – waking up at 5 a.m. might be your ticket to sneak in some self-care, be it a workout or meditation, or even tackle a few to-dos before the family wakes up. Smart, right?"

Now, switching your wake-up time to 5 a.m. isn't a walk in the park. Also check out the tips to make it less of a struggle:
Cut yourself some slack – this 5 a.m. shift won't click overnight. Take it slow, start by waking up a bit earlier each day. And, of course, don't skimp on your beauty sleep!

All Right Guys! This was today's topic. If you impressed with my words then you can follow me on this platform. Also if you have any queries please don't hesitate to put a comment below. Thank you so much and Have a great day ❤️