At Growth By Design, we believe intentional choices lead to impactful growth, whether you’re shaping a thriving organization or a meaningful life. Here, we provide the practical information, tools, and frameworks to get you there. Today, we’re dissecting the science of waking up early and offering realistic (not just ambitious) ways to carve out restorative space in a world that never stops buzzing.

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5 AM Is For The Birds – Truly.

Optimizing my life to show up engaged, connected, and creative is a lifelong pursuit. So naturally, I was drawn to the promise of the 5 AM Club. But here’s the problem: I am a chronic snooze button presser. And let’s just say, my husband’s patience for my chronic snoozing of the early alarms ran out quickly.

Despite the science, waking up in the 5 o’clock hour wasn’t just hard – it actually seemed to set me back. I found myself groggy, irritable, and further away from the high-performing leader I aspired to be.

That’s when I decided to practice what I preach to my clients: define the desired outcome before designing the approach. What I truly needed was time in the morning to move slowly, set up my day, focus on my wellbeing, and get ready for what lay ahead. The goal wasn’t to join the 5 AM Club – the goal was to boost my wellness by having meaningful quiet time.

The 5 AM Club: The Principle > The Time

If you’re an executive, you’re probably familiar with the 5 AM Club. If you’re new, here’s the gist: The movement, popularized by Robin Sharma, is rooted in the value of quiet, personal time in the morning. But let’s move past the catchy name and focus on the science-backed habit that can truly revolutionize how you show up each day.

The Science of Solitude

Let’s put aside the cult of early risers for a moment (and honestly, do all 5 AM Clubbers really stick to it forever?). What the research tells us is that the real magic isn’t in the hour – it’s in the intentional solitude before the world’s noise takes over.

A Few Science-Baked Benefits

• Strategic Orientation & Satisfaction:
  2023 study in Harvard Business Review found that executives who consistently practiced a “quiet hour”—regardless of whether it was at 5 AM or 7 AM—reported 31% higher clarity in decision-making and 27% greater job satisfaction compared to those who didn’t.
• Cognitive Reset:
  Neuroscientists in 2014 discovered that periods of intentional solitude increase connectivity in the brain’s default mode network, the area associated with creativity and strategic thinking.
• Emotional Regulation:
  Solitude isn’t just peaceful—it’s powerful. A 2023 neuroscience meta-analysis showed that leaders who regularly spend time alone in the morning exhibit greater emotional resilience and are less reactive under stress.
• Happiness Boost:
  Psychologists at the Rotman Research Institute show a strong correlation between rising early and happiness levels, both in terms of level and duration of happiness throughout the day.

Your Reactive Mornings Are Costing You More Than Just Your Sanity

Let’s get real: most leaders are starting their day by checking email, Slack, or news – immediately surrendering their mental peace to someone else’s priorities. According to a 2022 Microsoft Work Trends Index, 68% of executives report feeling “behind” before 9 AM. That’s not a time management issue; it’s a boundary issue.

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“Own your morning. Elevate your life.”

– Robin Sharma

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I Propose A New Model: The Quiet Hour Club

Here’s a radical idea: reclaim the first hour of your day as a “quiet hour” – no matter when it starts. Protect this time as you would your most valuable client meeting. This is your time to put your mask on before helping others. This isn’t about discipline for discipline’s sake. It’s about creating a buffer between your mind and the world’s demands, so you can lead from a place of clarity, not chaos.

How I’ve Architected My Quiet Hour

1. Get Quiet:
   For the first 30–60 minutes, avoid all external inputs – no email, no news, no notifications. Instead, focus on output: journaling, sketching strategy, or simply thinking.
2. Get Moving:
   New research from Stanford (2025) shows that even 5 minutes of gentle stretching or walking in the morning increases dopamine and primes the brain for complex problem-solving.
3. Get Into Transition:
   Use this time to set a single intention for the day. Evidence from the University of British Columbia (2024) suggests that leaders who set a daily intention are 40% more likely to follow through on their top priorities.

Leaders Lead Better When They Prioritize Solitude

When you start your day with intention and solitude, you show up differently – for your team, your family, and yourself. You become less reactive, more creative, and more grounded. That’s not just good for business; it’s good for your wellbeing.

Let’s Get Quiet, Shall We?

To me, the “5 AM Club” is just a metaphor. If you’re an early riser, charge on my friends! If you’re like me an the 5 o’clock hour is unrealistic for a sustainable routine, I hope these tips will help you still get the meaningful benefits of a quiet hour without the pressure of the time in which that takes place.

The real win is when you find your quiet hour, not what time it is. The goal: protect one hour for yourself before you give yourself to everyone else.

So friends, I invite you to join me in being a member of the Quiet Hour Club. Tomorrow when you wake, spend the first 10 minutes in silence—no screens, no noise. Notice how your mind feels. Then, gradually expand that window. You might just find your best ideas waiting in the quiet.

Onward and upward!
Katie