Written by: Kim Wagner, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
My favourite time of day is 5 am. I don’t love getting up in the dark or having to always be in bed early to ensure I get enough sleep. However the gain of getting up so early outweighs pretty much anything.
There are plenty of books, programs and reasons out there that sprout the benefits of joining what has been coined The 5 am Club. Yes, it means you get a jump start on your day, things do run smoothly and stress levels are lower. Goodness you do get so much more out of your day by rising super early.
However, that's not why I crave my pre-dawn starts. Most of us live ridiculously full, stressful and intense lives. We are always ‘on’ and have to perform our roles at the time ‒ wife, mother, employee, employer, coach, friend, and teacher. Far out this is tiring and absolutely depletes your energy on a soul level. Sometimes there is nothing left after playing your role for the day.
5 am is my sacred time. For a brief period of time each day, I can cast off all of my labels. I’m not anyone’s anything. I’m just me. When my children were younger, I would ask my husband to take them out for an hour every Sunday so I could have some quiet time alone at home. It was something that I looked forward to each week and I found it really interesting that all of my stress and overwhelm would literally melt away as they drove off. I adore my family – It wasn’t that I needed a break from them in particular, it was that I needed to be completely alone for a while.
My children are grown now but by getting up early each day, I have continued to carve out some alone time. The healing that occurred from one single hour alone each Sunday was astounding. I felt whole, completely calm and more like myself than I’d ever felt.
Society is moving so quickly, there are so many demands on us all that it’s really difficult to switch off completely. We always need to do more, be more, and achieve more which is so damaging.
My early morning routine is not rigid. I know there are plenty that say routine is important, but my life is so structured in every other area that I really need flexibility during this sacred time.
Whilst I don’t do all of this every day, these are some things that I do regularly during my early mornings:
Write. 5am is my writing time. My creativity is best as soon as I wake up. On those mornings I get up, put my headphones in with some classical music and let the magic download.
Meditate. My morning meditation is quick ‒ often just a 10-15 minute guided meditation or even just focusing on the breath. Before bed in the evening I will also meditate and mostly choose something guided.
Read. I’ll make a nice cup of tea and read a few chapters of my latest personal development book. A couple of my favourites right now are ‘Think and Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill and ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear.
Study. Continuous learning and growing is so important and I love to be enrolled in something new or revisiting past lessons. At present I am completing The Hero’s Journey with Darren Hardy and I’ve just signed up for a 12 month coaching package starting January 2023. Learning and growing every day is something I value highly.
Just being. Sitting in a comfortable chair, feeling into your true self and really listening. This is so powerful and healing.
Exercise. Due to my erratic schedule, my exercise is generally walking or an online class. Right now I do Suzanne Bowen Fitness in the morning/during the day and go for a walk in the afternoon.
Finding time for yourself is super important. Whilst early morning may not work, I highly recommend finding a regular time that you just be. People often ask me how I keep up with my schedule and fit so much in. This is my secret weapon. Slowing down to achieve more.
Kim Wagner, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Kim is a PSYCH-K® Facilitator, PER-K® Catalyst, Reiki Master, Intuitive Healer, Author, Speaker, and Educator.
After losing her mother to cancer whilst pregnant with her second child, Kim started to research and training in the field of belief systems and trauma. The learnings and results have been astounding.
Kim helps people to transform their lives. Her expertise is to heal trauma, replace negative and limiting belief systems and change the perception of stress.
With a corporate background, Kim's unique ability to help clients allows her to transform lives across the globe.
Kim is co-author of Upself Guidebook and an article contributor for multiple publications.
