Why My Day Starts at 4:45 AM (Yes, I’m Serious)

You know how some people swear they’re “night owls,” spinning their best ideas at 2 a.m. while the rest of us are drooling on our pillows? Yeah, I’m not one of them. I’m a hardcore morning person—by choice. Well, mostly by choice. There’s something magical, almost illicit, about being awake in what feels like a secret pocket of the day. And let me assure you: waking up before 5 a.m. isn’t all green juices and meditation vibes. It’s more “what am I even doing here?” sprinkled with a little “let’s see how this shakes out.”

Let me show you a day in my life. Fair warning: You’ll either relate, laugh, or question my sanity entirely. Maybe all three.

4:45 AM: Battle of Alarms and Existential Dread

Here’s a fact: no one wants to wake up early. It’s not like I fling myself out of bed with Olympic enthusiasm. My love/hate relationship with pre-dawn life starts with my first alarm—a jazzy melody I’ve named “Oh No, Not Again.”

It’s a ritual now. I sit in the dark for five minutes, contemplating life, running my hand over the blanket like a dramatic indie movie character, and then forcing myself upright because it’s “me time.” This little slice of quiet morning—birdsong against darkness—is my nonnegotiable. There’s something beautiful and rare about moments when you’re awake, and the world is not. It feels like dating your own soul.

Pro tip: If you’re going to try early mornings, prep the night before. Sit your sneakers by the bed. Set your favorite mug out on the counter. Because your groggy self doesn’t have time for scavenger hunts.

5:00-6:00 AM: Coffee, Journaling, and a Dose of Chaos

People assume my early mornings are pristine and Zen-like. Picture me in a fluffy robe, clutching my ceramic mug, bathing in a soft glow of tranquility. Wrong. My “routine” sways between curated chaos and caffeinated artistry.

First, coffee. No froufrou, pour-over situation for me—I’m team “basic drip machine.” It gurgles as I scribble in my journal, a mishmash of gratitude lists, random musings, and (more than I’d like to admit) half-baked pep talks aimed at Future Me. Journaling isn’t about perfection—it’s about capturing the moment in its messy glory.

Unexpected twist: I blast a bizarre hype playlist. Picture this—a playlist ranging from ’90s boy band hits to old-school rock anthems. By the time Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” kicks in, I’m ready to, well, stop everyone else.

Think this sounds random? Maybe. But journaling and upbeat music set the tone for my day to feel lighthearted. Even if life throws a curveball, I’ve already had my mini therapy session.

6:45 AM: Nature Meets Nostalgia

Let me let you in on my secret weapon: walks. Before the sun fully wakes up, I’m out the door. Living near a landscape rich in culture and nature—rolling mesas, juniper trees, skies so wide they swallow you whole—is like stepping into a meditative postcard.

I plug in a podcast or audiobook, usually something narratively rich (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s work? Chef’s kiss.) and pace my way into clarity. Walking clears my brain fog faster than that second cup of coffee. It’s like pressing restart on my life every single morning.

Something about the rhythm of my feet hitting the ground lulls my mind into reflection, like flipping through old photo albums. I think about my grandparents, the wisdom their stories passed down to me, and their advice about love: “Find someone who makes your soul laugh. That’s the secret.” Timeless—and yes, applicable across generations.

10:30 AM: Work Mode, But with Side Quests

Flash forward to when the world catches up and emails flood in. As a writer and editor, my mornings tiptoe between multitasking and meandering—what I like to call “productive procrastination.” I’ll outline a new article in one tab, get distracted googling obscure Korean soap operas in another, and somehow end up weaving tidbits about cultural nuances into relationship advice. (Spoiler: soy sauce metaphors appear more often than they should.)

What I’ve learned: Humans are more creative when their minds wander. So, I embrace my mental detours fully. Some of my best work emerged while daydreaming about mixing art with love, or overthinking how churros should be a metaphor for relationships (hint: sweet, warm, but better with layers of richness).

Pro tip: Whether you’re a creative soul or corporate climber, block out time to “chase the rabbit holes.” Crazy as it sounds, this is where unexpected genius tends to lurk.

2:00 PM: Recharge Rituals

Today’s dilemma: Nap or power through? Emotional Senate votes for both.

Here’s something I picked up while traveling in Chile—a siesta-adjacent strategy for recharging. Instead of curling up for a solid two hours, I take a 20-minute “mind reset.” No screens, no scrolling. Sometimes it’s lying on a yoga mat staring at the ceiling like a math teacher in a corny sitcom, or sipping tea while watching my jade plant grow ever-so-slowly.

Recharging doesn’t mean shutting off entirely, though. Often, I keep my social battery alive by checking in with friends—texting them “would it be chaotic if I bought a roasted duck today?” or reviewing our running list of inside jokes. I’ll say it louder for the people in the back: nurturing friendships is self-care.

7:00 PM: Love in the Details

Evenings feel sacred… and a little spicy. This is my time to lean into romance—whether with my partner or with myself (solo Netflix-and-sushi dates are elite-level win). If it’s a “partner night,” we’re lowkey foodies, so we’ll strategize meals like generals before a battle. Fresh herbs? Check. Handmade ravioli? Sometimes. Way too much garlic? Always.

Romance, I’ve learned, isn’t always big, swooping gestures but the micro-moments—the way they know you freeze under AC vents, the unspoken rule that fries are always shared, the ridiculous movies you both hate but secretly love (cough “Cats” cough).

Little things build intimacy, brick by brick. My nightly advice for strengthening relationships? See how small you can go in your care for each other—reply with a text laced with emojis, bring them water (but bonus points for the fancy bottle), remember their terrible joke from two years ago because it made them laugh too hard.

10:30 PM: Fiction Before the Glow of Screens

Before bed, I allow myself one last ritual: storytelling. Not writing, exactly—but absorbing. Some nights, my partner and I read aloud, melodramatic voices included. (Jane Austen with a cowboy twang is shockingly entertaining.) Other nights, I get lost in cultural retellings of myths or poetry collections passed down through generations, finding new ways to connect threads between myself, my ancestors, and this rapidly evolving world of love and connection.

There’s a Navajo belief that moments before sleep are deeply spiritual. They carry traces of dreams, of spirits dancing along the edges of your waking life. That’s the energy I carry into my day’s end.

The Takeaway

If my day has taught me anything, it’s this: Life (and relationships) thrive on the rituals you choose and how you personalize them. Whether it’s sunrise walks, absurd group texts, quiet naps, or garlic-fueled dinners, my rituals are where my love for the world and the people in it becomes real.

Find what lights you up, lean into it fully, and trust me—those secret pockets of joy will multiply. Bonus points if they involve churros, Queen playlists, or Post-It notes full of bad puns.

Let’s flirt with life’s rhythms and make it our own. You down?