'The early bird catches the worm': It's a saying we know all too well, but rarely do old proverbs hold truth in the present day. This saying however, retains universal value - at least, according to a new internet trend.
Those currently documenting the benefits of early rising are TikTokers, naturally. It's what they're calling the '5-9 before the 9-5,' that being, the golden period of the day in which you can dedicate time to you and you alone, uninterrupted. And, it makes for major 'It Girl aesthetics', whether you love or loathe it.
This is a time that is being hailed for its offering of a moment of solace from the busy world, where beauty and wellness routines, whether it's cryotherapy or meditation or just walking or journalling, can flourish.
While TikTok is being credited with the current popularity of waking early, celebrities (and the super-rich) have long enjoyed the crack of dawn. Here are the celebrity morning routines we rate the most...
Jennifer Aniston
Forget 5am, Jen A is a 4:30am riser - on a work day that is. Then, she washes her face, has hot lemon water and meditates for 20 minutes. She avoids screen-time for the first waking hour and always has a shake with maca powder and cacao with her breakfast, before a 30-minute spin class followed by yoga for 40 minutes. Phew.
Oprah Winfrey
Running a multi-billion dollar media empire is no easy task and Oprah begins to get to grips with it between 5:30am and 6am. After an hour in the gym, she is in the hair and make-up chair by 7:30am. By 11.30am, she’s already filmed two shows (usually) and breaks away to drink green juice made up of spinach, parsley, apple juice, celery, and cucumber.
Khloé Kardashian
In the final episode of Season One of The Kardashians, when referring to all the drama about to unfold, a crew member notes 'everything good happens before 7am'. He was right. Khloe rises at 5am to start her well-known vigorous fitness routine. She freshens up by washing her face and putting sunscreen on, and then has green tea, a banana and a peanut butter pack. Prepped and primed, she then heads off to work out.
The Problem With The 5-9 Routine
While it's great to claw back time for yourself, a feed flooded with early morning routine content can have a way of making you question your own life. In fact, many have responded to the popularity of these videos with criticism for its glamorisation of hustle culture, in a climate where burn out is already rife.
Critique of the need to wake up early just for the sake of your own wellness and sanity (which supposedly can't be slotted into any other time of the day) has rightfully triggered questions around our capitalist induced over-productivity, when really, all we need is a good night's kip.