I wanted to be her.
The girl with a morning routine that says she’s that girl, not only on paper, but in real life.
The girl who starts her day with an early workout. The girl with life goals. She eats acai bowls for breakfast and completes her beauty ritual, leaving her glowing inside and out.
So I set my alarm clock for 5 am on the dot.
In the event I magically somehow made it out of bed, it was always the groggiest, most miserable version of me.
But I pushed through, expecting my body to adjust.
If I could go to bed earlier with a little more discipline, then a 5 am morning routine would eventually spill over into getting the rest of my life together.
Or so I thought.
But here’s the thing about the mind-body connection…
Our bodies usually know things before our minds do. And while I was trying so hard to fit into an aesthetic, my body was trying to tell me a different story.
I Was Convinced a Morning Routine Would Fix Everything
I thought a 5 am morning routine would be the catalyst for finally getting my life together. Inevitably, I would become more organized and increase my productivity.
On paper, it made sense. Life is so busy, so why not have an early-morning routine when things are quiet, and you have time before the world starts demanding things of you?
With enough discipline, I could retain some control over the outcomes in my life.
I was tired of procrastinating on the things I wanted and of living in a world of daydreams and ideas with no action behind them. I would feel motivated. Not lazy.
An early-morning routine would reduce decision fatigue, set the tone for the day, and increase my overall motivation.
When Your Body Starts Sending Signals Your Mind Ignores
While 5 am sounded great in theory, my body didn’t start winding down until 11 pm every night, making waking up difficult.
I tried going to bed at the same time. Optimizing my life to wake up on time wasn’t as easy as I thought.
And as time went on, the pressure to go to bed at a certain time and wake up early felt eerily familiar. And not in a good way.
That’s when the lightbulb went off.
The anxiety I was feeling was the same anxiety and dread I felt working as a flight attendant, getting into a layover at 10 pm with a 6 am wake-up call the next day.
While traveling was great, my body never got used to the pressure to sleep on command. I could never unwind or relax completely.
My circadian rhythms were off, and my moods were unpredictable. It was like my body was in a permanent state of hypervigilance.
I transitioned to a remote career for more stability and flexibility. Yet, I was trying to fit myself into a 5 am morning routine that didn’t align with how I actually lived.
The Hidden Cost of Chasing Productivity Aesthetics
Inherently, there is nothing wrong or right with self-development with a 5 am morning routine.
But the point is, an early-morning routine is just not for me. And that’s ok.
I think a lot of us try to contort ourselves to fit into an aesthetic that isn’t for us.
And when you don’t succeed or achieve the ideal results, society reduces your individuality, uniqueness, and needs as failures.
Over time, if you don’t have awareness, it can start to feel like an act of self-betrayal.
Literally and figuratively.
What Happened When I Started Working With My Body Instead of Against It
Instead of trying to overhaul my life overnight and burning out the next day, I’ve started listening to my body more.
The truth is, as women, our energy ebbs and flows throughout the day. Hormones fluctuate on a 30-day cycle, while men only experience a 24-hour fluctuation.
And did you know women need slightly more sleep than men to feel their most vital?
I realized I’m in one of the most privileged positions of my life: working from home, and I can take advantage of a schedule that aligns with how I actually live.
So, what does this mean?
I create flexible routines that support different energy flows.
For example, while I know it’s important to move my body in the morning, I choose exercises that still leave me with energy for the rest of the day.
This could look like:
- Walking “as a commute”
- Low-impact yoga and pilates routines
- Stretches in bed when Aunt Flow visits
- Water aerobics on the weekends
While the exercise is minimal, the lasting impact on my physical and mental health is major, and the enjoyable factor keeps me consistent.
For heavier workouts with weights, I save those for the evening, around 6 pm and 7 pm. I love this time because most of the after-work rush is gone. I can go hard enough with cardio and weights that I’m exhausted enough for bed.
I work out all of my frustrations for the day, and it makes for a most invigorating and relaxing shower experience when I get home.
In Conclusion
Figuring out which self-improvement systems and routines are best for me is a constant work in progress.
It’s great to want to change your life for the better, but choosing what’s best for you is not going to always look like the version that someone else is living.
Productivity burnout is real. Don’t leave one illusion to chase another.
Evaluate systems and routines using real data to reduce procrastination and ensure they align with your lifestyle goals.
With a little intention, you won’t just match an aesthetic, you become the blueprint for alignment.
You may also like:
