How to Join the 530AM Club
My journey to being a part-time morning person.
I’ve transformed myself into a part-time morning person.
The benefits are clear. Better mood, feelings of accomplishment, and the slowing of time.
My secret weapon to being an early riser? Waking up for PEOPLE.
Joining the 530 Club
With less time now that I am back in the office, I joined two-morning run clubs. The initial motivation was to get miles in to help train for a half-marathon.
But now I do it because it’s the best way to start my morning.
The Friday run is themed around easy miles with socializing and coffee.
The second club is focused on training and doing long runs. It goes with a new philosophy I’ve been leaning into. If you are doing something hard, surround yourself with friends.
From chatting with other members, they feel the same way. Sunshine and sweating are awesome but everyone keeps coming back for the people.
Along with a lift in my mood, the days seem longer when I start with others. The two hours with these clubs feel like four. I go home thinking I've lived half a day then realize it’s only 9 AM!
Running clubs aren't new for me, but I never imagined a morning version because I couldn’t see myself waking up.
In high school, I would put down the toilet lid and sit down while brushing my teeth, then fall asleep mid-brush.
Hard to fathom but now I am sabotaging my nights because I know what’s on the other end of waking up.
I realized you get more out of life between 6 and 8 AM than you do between 10 and midnight.
The 10 PM-12 AM Wasteland
For most of my life, 10 PM has been a signal for some bedtime revenge. This is when you sacrifice sleep for personal time.
There is also something deep inside of me that is denying the fact that the day is over. I see this in my family. I can even tell my little 4-year-old nephew has it.
It’s also an example of present self-bias. Favoring night man vs. day man.
I am drained from the day and going for the easy thing at night — YouTube or scrolling my phone. Nothing I wouldn’t give up to get more sleep or waking up early to hang out with people.
As I am writing this sentence. I am at the coffee shop early. And when you go into the world early, there are additional perks.
No lines. I was the first to place my coffee order.
Less traffic. Less noise. The town/city is still asleep.
Greet everyone with “good morning” versus the generic “hi”.
A less intense sun.
Pushing the Boundaries of Your Chronotype
Now let me defend night man for a second. There is something to be said about one’s natural biology chronotype.
This is your biology telling you when to sleep or wake. You don’t have a say in being a “morning” or “night” person. The default settings were set when you were born.
The setting isn’t binary; it’s a spectrum. Most of us fall somewhere between being early risers and night owls. Here is a good questionnaire, if you don’t know where you fall.
Obviously, other factors play a part:
Life circumstances (new parents, school, work, etc.)
Aging
Seasonal changes
There is also the cruel fact of not being a good sleeper. If you are one of those assholes that can put your head on the pillow and drift off, I am envious AF.
TV doesn’t relax me. Neither do podcasts. Going to bed early is a chore. Quieting my mind down is essential.
I find popping low-dosage melatonin a few times a week, meditation, journaling, and reading (but not self-development) helps. Let me know if you have other suggestions for relaxation. Building a solid wind-down routine is a new goal.
I’ll keep waking up early but know when winter arrives in Chicago, bringing colder and darker mornings, resisting the temptation to hit snooze will be a challenge once again.
Thanks for reading!
Irfan
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