Why and How to Wake Up at 5:30 a.m. (2024)

I used to dread waking up in the morning to go to work. Then about 5 years ago, I started waking up at 5:30 a.m. to think, read and write my Linkedin article. Sometimes, I think about what to do if I have only one year to live, other times what if I live till 100 (too long for me). I try not to check email, reply Whatsapp/WeChat or check social media (except Linkedin). Waking up early has done wonder for me! I am able to do four jobs instead of one. Besides being much more productive, waking up early makes me more alert and energetic, it helps me maintain a good physique and health.

Here's what I do

1. Morning routine - I drink a glass of warm water first thing in the morning after waking up. It hydrates and cleanses the body by flushing out the toxin accumulated overnight. This is an important step to have the body wanting to wake up early.
2. Exercise - I exercise twice a week during lunch time. If I cannot go to the gym or go for a run because of lock down, I climb up 16 storeys, 5 times. I take the lift down as climbing down is bad for knees. Moderate exercise improves sleep quality.
3. Diet - I eat healthy for breakfast during weekday - cereal, rolled oats soaked in apple juice, fruits, plain congee, slice of bread, nothing too oily. I eat whatever I want for lunch. I try to have my dinner early (usually before 7 p.m.) so that the food in my stomach is already digested by the time I go to bed. Healthy breakfast and early dinner somehow reduce the number of hours of sleep I need.
4. Night routine - I don't have a night routine but would recommend reading a book. My sleeping time ranges from 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. I try not to go past midnight.

(Below is screenshot of my comments on Linkedin Asia poll that attracted 801 likes! One reader asked for my tips, thus this article.)

Many people have heard about the benefits of waking up early and are keen to adopt this habit but find it hard to implement. One key reason is they don't enjoy going to work (very few people do). The body has no reason to wake up early to do something neither enjoyable nor exciting. So the secret to waking up early is to do something enjoyable in the morning. If you don't believe me, ask avid golfers - they will tell you how willing they are to wake up early to play a game of golf. Here is a list I do in the morning

1. Thinking - In the morning before checking my phone, I sometimes write down my plans for the week, other times I write down my plans for the decade. Sometimes I think about the people I like to meet or zoom to stay in touch, other times I think about the actions I should take to achieve that impossible dream.
2. Reading - I read online articles or books to get new ideas for my speaking gigs or teaching at universities.
3. Writing - I go through the list of topics I have accumulated and find one to write about. I post every Tue 7:45 a.m. (Singapore time). I edit Institute of Life (IOL) LinkedIn page articles for posting every Thu 7:45 a.m..
4. Gardening - I take care of my plants in the garden. A mindfulness walk in the garden helps me see things I don't normally pay attention to, for example, tiny sunbirds feeding on the nectar of flowers or an egg in a bird nest. So much to learn from nature.

My 5:30 morning routine has made my life so much more worth living! What is your experience?

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