Why Waking Up at 5 a.m. No Longer Works for Me—Here's What I Do Instead

Early mornings once felt like my secret weapon for thriving, but as my family life shifted, so did my routines.

A few years ago, I tried something that seemed absolutely absurd. After years of putting my well-being on the back burner to focus on my family and career, I decided to prioritize myself. But between working long hours and having a son who woke up at 6 a.m., I wasn’t sure when healthy me time would fit in. That’s when I remembered hearing about the “5 a.m. club”—a club for those willing to wake up at an obscene hour to fuel their mind, body and soul before the world wakes up.

As much as I loved my alone time at night, which consisted of Netflix, wine and chips, I knew I needed healthier ways to cope with stress and be a happier, more patient mom. So, I gave it a shot.

My initial take on the 5 a.m. club

When I started, I followed the classic 20/20/20 method outlined by Robin Sharma in The 5 AM Club—20 minutes of exercise, 20 minutes of mindfulness and 20 minutes of learning. After a few false starts (exercise comes much easier after coffee), I was hooked.

Having an hour to myself before my family woke up felt like a gift. Finally, I had time to exercise, meditate and read—all the things I’d been “too busy” to do before. And I felt fantastic. My energy, focus and patience improved, and I even found an exercise I loved—running. Waking up early also nudged me toward healthier evening habits: No more late nights with Netflix and wine.

As kids change, habits change

Fast-forward two years, and my boys were now eight and ten. They had later bedtimes, and my oldest started struggling to fall asleep, which meant I was up later, too. My once-reliable 10 p.m. bedtime became a thing of the past, as did my 5 a.m. routine.

Suddenly, my meditation practice was sporadic, I was running maybe once a week, and reading was saved for weekends. But one thing was different this time—I let go of the guilt. I stopped feeling bad about my mornings looking different. I realized that prioritizing sleep over a strict routine was what I needed.

I still fit in exercise, mindfulness and learning when I could, but I let go of the need to do it at the crack of dawn. And honestly, that was better than nothing.

Creating habits that work for you

Although the 5 a.m. club no longer appealed to me nor, was it feasible to do, I missed the energy, focus and calm that came with it. I craved restorative alone time and I knew that inconsistent exercise was making me grumpy. I also found myself slipping back into my old evening habits—fun at the moment, but not so great the next day.

We had also left Toronto and moved to a smaller town. On the days my husband commuted into the city, getting the kids ready in the morning fell on me. This made daily routines harder to stick to as each day might look a bit different. So, I decided to focus on what I wanted to achieve over the week, instead of every single day.

For exercise, I changed from running to group fitness classes three to four times a week to have accountability and community, and I love it.  For mindfulness, I now meditate for five to ten minutes when I can, whether it’s in the morning, during a break, or at the end of the day. And I journal daily, because I love it and it brings me peace of mind. For learning, I allow myself to switch between fiction and non-fiction books, indulging in the occasional cheesy romance novel because sometimes that’s just what I need.

And when life gets chaotic—as it inevitably does with kids, work and unexpected twists—I’ve learned to drop the guilt. Kids get sick, deadlines pile up and sometimes rest needs to be the priority.

Find your 5 a.m.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there’s no one-size-fits-all routine, especially for parents. Waking up at 5 a.m. worked wonders for me in one chapter of my life, but it no longer serves me the same way. Now, I’m focused on flexibility, on routines that evolve as my life does.

So find what works for you—and let go of the pressure to stick to routines that don’t fit. Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, it’s less about the hour and more about taking time for yourself, whatever that looks like in your current stage.