CNN
—
Maddy Todd wakes up at 4:30 every weekday morning and walks out the front door at 5 to start the day.
She goes to the gym before the sun rises and starts running on the treadmill before lifting weights. She comes home, makes breakfast, feeds her pets, cleans up her apartment, and gets ready for the next day.
It’s not necessarily glamorous, but for Todd, an early morning routine makes all the difference.
“I was never an early riser,” Todd told CNN. But in 2022, chased by her stifling work and seeking her challenge, she dragged herself out of bed and into the weight room four hours before she was due to go to work. As a form of her creative accountability, she began posting her views on her daily life and her “5:9 before 9:5 was born” on a vlog. rice field.
of TikTok “5 to 9 from 9 to 5” The obsession started in 2022, thanks to users like Todd. This trend represents the early morning hours before work, which TikToker fills with healthy habits like exercise, errands, reading and cooking. This is ‘me time’ for users with little room for fitness or introspection, with work robbing them of the rest of the day, and for aspiring morning people looking to make the most of their day. is also an example of
Sounds very simple. “5 to 9” refers to the hours before work in the morning. TikTok users typically share a schedule between 5am and 9am, but some change it (one popular poster) have 3:30 a.m. wake-up call).
Many of Todd’s and TikTok’s contemporaries garnered fans with romanticized versions of their 5-9 morning routines, which mostly take place in spacious apartments, clean gyms and comfy couches. there is Her Todd videos have racked up millions of views because she stays real. She doesn’t pretend it’s always easy to get out of bed at 4:30 am on weekdays. She teases her own weightlifting form in the video, revealing when she practices. forget Swipe on deodorant in the morning. (That’s early, can you blame her?)
“I wanted to let viewers know that this lifestyle doesn’t have to be a glorified ‘tough girl’ experience,” she said.
Candid “days of life” on TikTok are already mainstream, and adding some humor to his usual routine has worked for Todd. Her 5-9 videos of her have amassed tens of millions of views. Her hashtag itself has been viewed over 70 million times on the app.
For those who like to set aside the action for the night, there’s a sister trend that focuses on the other part of the workday: 5-9. rear “9 to 5” is a more relaxed time period where users can hang out with co-workers, work up a sweat in a fitness class, cook dinner, and share a chill-out time with plenty of Netflix. increase.
veronique davidson TikToker in Torontospends 5-9pm exercising, meditating and reading before getting ready for work. The early hours are “the only time in the day that I have for myself,” she told CNN. She works for the Government of Canada from 9pm to 5pm, after which she has a part-time professional sports job from 5pm to 9pm. player-related team. Her morning routine, she said, helps her manage the sheer amount of work.
“I love getting up early, at a relaxed pace, and getting things done for myself long before work starts,” she said. “By taking time for yourself and taking care of your own needs, you are grounded.”
Davidson has been waking up at 5am for two years. It’s a strategy to ensure his needs are met during the COVID-19 pandemic and the stress of his two careers. She credits this practice with improving her “mental clarity and overall joy.”
And documenting the morning routine and ups and downs brought a similar joy to Todd. She found most of her fitness content displayed on FYPs (TikTok parlance for “For You pages”) demotivating, so she created the content herself. Now she looks forward to her early morning wake-up call.
“As I started to love what I was doing, I found it easier to be consistent,” she said.
Sleep scientist, TikToker, and frequent activist Vanessa Hill says getting up early may work for people who are naturally early risers, but it’s not a panacea. weigh The pros and cons of the current trend on TikTok (rotten bed, anyone?).
“A morning person may feel energized and motivated by having a solid morning routine at 5 a.m., which is great,” she told CNN. “But … trying to change routines prematurely when it’s not in its nature can lead to lightheadedness, less productivity, and slower decision-making.”
If you’re not already a morning person, leaning towards TikTok trends that wake you up hours earlier than usual can be more stressful than helping you get things done, Hill said. She says it’s no surprise that trends that promote “business and productivity” resonate with a lot of people. So even if night owls are most productive and feel more alert later in the day, they can still work healthy habits into their schedules. rear 5 pm
“It’s best to take it easy and make it a priority to get a good night’s rest,” she said of those who have failed to stick to the “5 to 9” schedule.
But for those inspired by Todd and Davidson’s early morning workout commitments, there’s a way to boost your mood in the morning.
Both Todd and Davidson said the 5-9 routine actually started the night Before. Todd says getting up early (her “worry point”) has made her early rises much easier by fixing her nighttime routines, such as turning off the TV at a set time, abstaining from alcohol on weeknights, and choosing her outfit for the next day. said it was feasible.
And if waking up early and exercising just isn’t fun anymore, give yourself a little reprieve, Todd said.
“Don’t make it a ‘die or die’ experience,” she says.
Todd, who has more than 167,000 followers, has days off. When she’s having trouble getting out of her bed, she says, she listens to her body, lets herself fall asleep, and doesn’t beat herself up to catch up on her latest news. rice field. needed rest.
