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Welcome to my personal space, where I write through change, learning, and healing in real time. Written by a 45-year-old mother of three, learning AI, online systems, and how to stay sane and healthy, one honest step at a time.

Waking Up at 5AM for 8 Weeks: What the 5AM Club Changed for Me

Kristina

March 5, 2026

My Journey to $100k

I’ve started two major new habits this year, and this is my two-month report.

It’s now March, and for the first time in my life, I’ve been consistently doing two things I’ve never really done regularly before

Waking up at 5AM
Using a habit tracker and daily journaling

So far, I’ve been surprisingly consistent with both.

And honestly? It has been a quiet game changer.

Waking Up at 5AM

Waking up at 5AM has given me something I didn’t realize I needed so much: an hour to myself.

I use that time to journal and update my habit tracker. It allows me to start the morning calmly instead of rushing.

Now when I wake the kids for school, I don’t feel frantic. I feel prepared.

The first few weeks were difficult. I won’t pretend otherwise. But after about a month, something interesting happened.

I started waking up naturally.

Usually a few minutes before my alarm. Is this normal? Maybe this is simply what happens when your body finally adjusts to a routine.

Because I wake up earlier now, I also get sleepy earlier. The part I’m still working on is going to bed earlier. Ideally I’d like to be asleep by 9:30 PM, but right now it’s closer to 11 PM.

Doomscrolling still sneaks in sometimes. I’m working on that.

For now, I’m simply enjoying the quiet mornings. I’d love to add a short workout eventually, but since I’m still adjusting to the 5AM club routine, I’m giving myself some grace.

Journaling takes time. Making breakfast takes time. And honestly, that hour already feels like a gift before the 7 AM school run.

For now, that’s enough.

The Habit Tracker

The second habit I started this year is using a habit tracker. I discovered a method from a TikTok creator and decided to follow his format almost exactly.

January was rough.

My habits were inconsistent. But because I physically track them now, ticking the boxes every day, February became much more consistent.

There’s something surprisingly powerful about seeing those boxes fill up.

You want to keep the streak going. Even if the accountability is only to yourself.

This ties into my decision to start tracking everything this year as part of building better systems in my life.

Daily Journaling

Alongside waking up at 5AM, I started daily journaling. Many journaling methods recommend writing three pages every morning.

I don’t force that.

I don’t force that. Some days I write one page. Some days I write more.

It balances out naturally.

I decided to use a beautiful journal that I received as a gift in 2022. And it made me realize something important. I shouldn’t be saving nice things for later.

That journal sat untouched for two years. But now that I’m using it, I love it.

Soft cover. Thick blank pages. A joy to write in. And it made me realize something bigger.

Keeping gifts “for later” isn’t really appreciating them. It’s storing them. And eventually forgetting them.

Gifts are meant to be used. Not kept in boxes forever.

The Hoarding Realisation

As I began journaling consistently, I found all the journaling supplies I had collected over the years.

Stickers.
Washi tape.
Pretty pens.

I always thought:

“One day I’ll start.” But I never did.

Now I’m actually using them. And I realized something slightly uncomfortable. Keeping all of those supplies stored away in boxes is actually a mild form of hoarding.

Not extreme hoarding. But still hoarding. They take up space. They add clutter. And in a house where space already feels limited, that matters.

Using them now feels freeing. Instead of constantly collecting new things, I’m finally enjoying what I already have. That realization alone has been eye-opening.

What 8 Weeks of Waking Up at 5AM Has Taught Me

Eight weeks into waking up at 5AM, something has shifted. Not dramatically. But quietly.

My mornings feel calmer. Less rushed. More intentional.

It’s not perfect. I still go to bed later than I want. I still doomscroll sometimes. I haven’t added workouts yet.

But for the first time in my life, I’ve stuck to a habit for two months. And that feels like real progress.

What Waking Up at 5AM Is Actually Teaching Me

Waking up at 5AM isn’t really about the time. It’s about identity. For years I told myself I wasn’t a “morning person.”

I believed that story. And when you believe a story long enough, you live it. But these eight weeks are showing me something different.

Maybe I’m not someone who lacks discipline. Maybe I just never built systems that supported me.

The habit tracker makes me aware. The journaling makes me honest. The early mornings make me calmer.

It’s not dramatic. It’s not a massive life transformation. But it feels like a quiet shift.

FAQs About Waking Up at 5AM

1. Is waking up at 5AM healthy?

Waking up at 5AM can be healthy as long as you still get 7–8 hours of sleep. The key isn’t the time you wake up, it’s maintaining consistent sleep.

2. How long does it take to adjust to waking up early?

For me, it took about three to four weeks before waking up at 5AM felt natural. Your body clock adapts when your sleep schedule becomes consistent.

3. What should you do at 5AM?

Many people use the hour for journaling, workouts, reading, prayer, or planning. I use my 5AM hour for journaling and updating my habit tracker.

4. Is the 5AM Club realistic for moms?

It can be, as long as it reduces stress instead of adding pressure. For me, waking up at 5AM gives me quiet time before the school run and makes mornings calmer.

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