How To Make The 5am Club Work For You

Get To Grips With The Concept

“The 5am Club is a global bestseller written by Robin Sharma, a leadership and high-performance coach. The premise is that by getting up early, you’re creating the time to do things average people don’t. The method recommends dedicating an hour first thing in the morning to activities you wouldn’t usually find time to do during the day – exercise, reflection and self-development. The book claims that to be in the top 5% of successful people, you should wake up at 5am and give yourself a head start in cultivating the clarity, discipline, rigor and habits required for optimum performance. Your willpower is strongest at the start of the day and weakens as you get tired. The book recommends splitting the first hour of your day into three 20-minute blocks where you focus on your moving your body, reflecting and growing. Start with the workout – this will trigger a host of biochemical reactions in your brain and body to put you in an optimal cognitive state.” – Beth Hocking, leadership coach

Stick With It

“Studies show it takes 66 days to form a new habit, so stick with it to see results. Have a set routine and keep it up for six weeks. The first time your alarm goes off, you won’t want to get up, but count down from five and just do it. Nothing will change if you don’t. It can help to make the transition slowly and over time; your body will adjust. Like any new habit, after six weeks it’ll feel normal.” – Katie Pratley, founder of The Happy Wellbeing Club

Work Out What You Need

“The 5am Club believes the 20/20/20 formula is a keystone habit, i.e. a set of behaviours that generates other beneficial behaviours. It’s important to adjust or tailor it to your needs and preferences. For me, that first hour of the day is time for my mental health. Every morning, whatever the weather, I go for a run. I’m not a natural runner – or exerciser – but the sense of having solid boundaries in that hour is priceless. Think about what will benefit you and allocate time for that. You can mix it up, too. It may be that one morning you spend an hour working through your to-do list while another morning you do some self-care to lighten the mental load. Think of the 5am Club as a way to fill up your ‘tolerance cup’ before the world chips away at it throughout the day.” – Katie

Start Small

“If you’re not naturally a morning person, waking up at 5am can feel overwhelming. Start small – it doesn’t need to be 5am, you could start with 30 minutes earlier than your usual alarm time and work your way up. A working from home day is a good time to try it – get up at the same time you would on an office day and use your typical commute time to do something positive to set you up for the day ahead. You’ll feel the benefits from day one. You’ll feel less rushed and less stressed for the rest of the day if you’ve spent time in the morning intentionally preparing yourself for success. Imagine suddenly having more time to read all those books you’ve been accumulating or working on your meditation or yoga practice. Perhaps you’ve got a lifelong dream that you’ve shelved because you are too busy – creating extra time by waking earlier could be the difference between achieving your dreams and not.” – Beth

Do It For Your Health

“When it comes to your biological clock, getting up earlier allows you to get a jumpstart on your circadian rhythm – the body’s natural clock that follows a 24-hour cycle and controls many physiological processes, such as hormones, appetite, sleep, and blood pressure. If you wake up at a regular time every morning, it helps to reset your internal clock and encourages your body to feel awake and alert during the day. As a result, you’ll be more in tune with your natural sleep-wake schedule, making it easier to get a good night’s sleep. Studies have also suggested rising early can lead to improved mental health. When the alarm goes off, people who wake up early are more likely to have positive feelings and thoughts, which can lead to greater morale throughout the day. This early-morning positivity can also lead to better goal setting and decision-making throughout the day.” – Elena Lavagni, owner & founder of Neville Hair & Beauty

Get Out Of Autopilot

“Rising earlier has endless benefits, but it’s particularly suited to high performers and high achievers who don’t currently have enough hours in the day. It can also help those who recognise they are living life on autopilot, reacting to one thing after another, without ever having time either for themselves or to work on their goals.” – Beth

Dr Uchenna Okoye, Director Of London Smiling Clinics

“I class myself as one of the sleepless elite – I thrive off fewer than seven hours. Waking up early allows my body and mind to prepare for the day ahead and is a crucial element of being able to run my own business. As a cosmetic dentist, my days are back to back, so the peace of the morning is my time to get ahead and in the zone. I love a slow morning before the clinic as this is when some of my most creative thinking is done. Early mornings also allow me to absorb the silence around me, which I never get usually. It lets me cherish my own sanity and enjoy precious time with my daughter. Waking up early puts life into perspective, and allows me to maintain my health and happiness in work and as a mum.”

Beth Hocking, Leadership Coach

“My productivity has gone through the roof. Getting up early gives me time to consider my focus rather than reacting on autopilot. The 5am Club has eliminated that feeling of rushing I used to dread – a more leisurely pace ensures I have time to prepare for the day ahead. My stress levels have significantly reduced, as has my resting heart rate, from the breathing, meditation and daily journalling I’ve made time for. Plus, since swapping my workouts from the evening to the morning, I find I’m more consistent and am fitter with more energy.”

Charlie Day, Founder Of The Entrepreneurs Growth Club

“The 5am Club has changed my life. I’ve set my Google Home to turn the lights on gradually which is a good way to ease into the day. I then exercise, do 15 minutes of mindfulness and spend some time writing a journal, such as goals for the day ahead. The productivity I experience in the early hours is unbelievable, and I find I can better prioritise my health and wellbeing, too. I admit, it’s harder in the winter, but if you’re juggling multiple projects and find you’re trying to squeeze every part of the day to work, give it a go. However, you also need to prioritise an early night, so it’s not for those whose jobs or lifestyle don’t allow this. If you’re at all tempted, give it a go. I thought the idea was insane at first, but I’ve never looked back.”

Emma Carboni, Founder Of Emma Carboni PR

“I love the sense of order and calm that come with an early morning. It’s a window of opportunity, a little space carved out in a busy day – it’s like someone giving you an extra day in your week, without any agenda. By getting up at 5am, I’m not convinced I’m going to take over the world, become a better person or be uber zen because of it – but it’s a club that has free membership, and no penalties if you want time out occasionally. At 5am, I get up and out for a dog walk – I don’t listen to music or anything as that breaks the peace. My husband often comes with me and for us that time is like therapy – we’ll chat about life and aspirational things like where we want to go on holiday. Early in the morning, you see things from a different perspective and have the energy to think about things you wouldn’t have time for later in the day.”

For more from the experts, visit Beth-Hocking.com, TheHappyWellbeingClub.co.uk, NevilleHairAndBeauty.net, LondonSmiling.com, CharlieDaySales.co.uk & EmmaCarboni.co.uk.