Why Waking Up Earlier Didn’t Solve My Productivity Problems
I thought waking up at 5 AM would fix everything.
I had read all the productivity books, watched the YouTube routines, and convinced myself that successful women wake before the sun. So, I set my alarm. Bought a sunrise lamp. Made a vision board. I was ready.
The first week? I felt like that girl — lighting candles, doing yoga at 5:15, sipping lemon water.
But by midweek, I was exhausted. Not just a little tired — bone-tired. My brain was foggy, my moods were swinging like a pendulum, and I found myself snapping at people I loved. My to-do list didn’t get any shorter. If anything, I was making more mistakes because I was running on fumes.
It hit me one morning around 6 AM, while sitting under a blanket, staring at my laptop but not really reading the screen:
This is not working.
I Was Copying a Routine That Wasn’t Built for Me
The truth? I wasn’t being lazy. I was just sleep-deprived.
I had fallen into the trap so many of us do: believing that waking up earlier makes us instantly more productive. But I wasn’t accounting for the fact that I was already going to bed late, juggling responsibilities, overthinking tasks, cleaning up after the kids, and scrolling endlessly just to feel like I had me-time.
Waking up early without sleeping enough is like trying to run a marathon on an empty stomach. It’s not willpower you need — it’s rest.
I didn’t need to be up at 5 AM.
I needed a better plan.
Start With Energy, Not Ego
We’ve glamorised the hustle, but most of us are already running on very little: between work, studies, caregiving, ambitions, relationships, and expectations — we don’t need a stricter schedule; we need a smarter one.
I started asking myself:
- What time of day do I naturally feel most focused?
- When am I most likely to be interrupted or distracted?
- What tasks can I batch or automate to save mental space?
- What would it look like to build my productivity around my energy, not against it?
What helped me most wasn’t a miracle morning — it was giving myself permission to rest, then organising my days around clarity and intention.
Sleep First, Strategy Second
Here’s the truth no one wants to admit:
There is no productivity without proper sleep.
If you’re constantly tired, no fancy planner or 5 AM club will help. You can’t pour from an empty cup — and burnout isn’t a badge of honour. So I flipped my mindset:
✅ I prioritised better sleep hygiene: No screens before bed, setting wind-down alarms, blocking off my evenings.
✅ I stopped copying influencers’ routines and started tracking my own rhythms.
✅ I stopped calling myself lazy and started asking, “What do I need right now to show up better tomorrow?”
The more I honoured my sleep, the more I showed up with energy.
The more I aligned my schedule with my real life, the more productive I became.
💡 Remember:
It’s not about being up early.
the balanced wealth studio
It’s about being up when it counts — rested, clear, and ready.
