What Happens When You Wake at 5.30 am for 28 Days?

For the next 28 days, I’m waking at 5.30 am and sharing a short video each morning. I’ll show the wins, the struggles, and the small shifts that come from starting the day with calm and intention. Follow along on YouTube, and maybe find inspiration to start your own morning reset.

What I’ve Learned in Week One of Waking Up at 5.30 am

I didn’t begin this 28-day experiment because I wanted to reinvent myself, optimise my mornings, or suddenly become a “morning person”.

I started because my rhythm had slipped.

Late nights had crept in, and mornings felt rushed and reactive. I was starting work late, already stressed, and already trying to catch up, which doesn’t suit me at all.

I’m someone who feels calmer and more grounded when I’m prepared, not scrambling, and

I could feel how far I’d drifted from that.

So this isn’t a hustle challenge or a productivity reset. It’s a gentle attempt to realign my body clock, reclaim my mornings, and see what changes when I meet the day with a little more space.

I’m documenting the whole thing honestly on YouTube, sharing a short video each morning at 5.30 am. After the first week, here’s what I’ve noticed.

What I Didn’t Prepare For

I underestimated my evenings

This was my biggest learning.

I focused so much on getting up early that I didn’t create a proper wind-down routine in the evenings. Instead of slowing down, I used those hours to do more: more tasks, more thinking, more activity. Eeek!

Day 1 - I should have planned to get to bed much earlier.

Unsurprisingly, that made it harder to fall asleep.

This week has shown me very clearly that evenings matter just as much as mornings. Earlier starts need gentler landings.

Sleep doesn’t respond well to pressure; it needs cues, consistency, and a sense of safety. That’s something I’ll be paying much more attention to going forward.

The social side of earlier mornings

Getting up at 5.30 am naturally means going to bed earlier, and that doesn’t always line up with friends’ schedules.

I hadn’t fully considered how this would feel socially: evenings out and late dinners suddenly need a bit more thought.

It’s not a problem, but it is an adjustment, and one that requires clearer boundaries and more intentional choices.

Any shift in rhythm has ripple effects. This week reminded me to notice them, rather than push past them.

What I’ve Loved

Feeling back in control of my time

This has been the biggest change.

Instead of trying to squeeze walking the dog, getting ready, making breakfast, and mentally preparing for work into less than an hour, I’ve had space.

No rushing. No frantic clock-watching. No starting the day already overwhelmed, the sense of calm and control has been surprisingly regulating.

The accountability of showing up

Knowing I was going to record a short video at 5.30 am gave me a reason to get up, especially on the mornings I really didn’t feel particularly motivated.

It didn’t feel like pressure, but rather a welcome commitment. It was a reminder that I’d said I’d show up and that was enough.

Making time for what matters to me

One of the unexpected gifts of this week has been finding around 30 minutes each morning to work on my book (more on this later).

That small pocket of time lifted my spirits more than I anticipated. I made space for a passion project before the rest of the day arrived with emails, messages, demands, and distractions.

It reminded me how important it is to choose myself first, even briefly. And I know a lot can be accomplished in small, daily chunks of time.

By giving priority to what is important to me, not work or my dog, though they are both highest priorities, but something of my own (as you can see below, my dog has been getting extra fuss this week).

Being up so early gave me more time to cuddle my dog. These moments were very special to me 🥰

Working with my body clock, not against it

Starting work at a time that suited my body meant I could also finish my day at the right time.

That balance matters. It’s helped my days feel more contained, rather than stretching endlessly into the evening, which, ironically, also supports better sleep.

Noticing the mornings themselves

There’s something quietly grounding about early mornings; there's a special peace that can only be found in the early hours before the world wakes up and the noise and hustle begin.

Hearing the birds sing and noticing that it’s getting lighter with each passing day was such a simple joy. I love watching the seasons shift in real time.

The best thing is that it has been nothing dramatic, but at the same time, it has been life-changing to experience.

One Week In

This first week hasn’t been perfect. I’ve been tired, and I have missed the mark and overslept.

I’ve realised where I didn’t plan well enough, and I’ve had to look honestly at habits that no longer support me.

But I’ve also felt calmer, more intentional, more like myself, and it's a habit I'm going to hold on to. That feels like a good place to be after seven days.

✨ If you want to explore ways to make changes to your life, check out my blog post, How to Make a Habit Stick.

Want to join me on my journey? I’m sharing my daily 5.30 am check-ins over on YouTube. Just my quiet, honest reflections as this experiment unfolds.

And if you’re reading this and wondering whether you might like to try something similar…

Are you ready to gently reclaim your mornings?

It doesn’t have to be 5.30 am. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be intentional.

Maybe this is your moment to begin? Whatever or whenever you decide, let me know how you're getting on and what you discover.