Do extreme morning routines like Ashton Hall’s viral daily regimen really work? – Irish Examiner

Try from €1 / week
Try from €1 / week

Not only is it unrealistic for most to follow an extreme morning routine, but certain sacrifices must be made in exchange.
At 4am, most of us are tucked up in bed, in deep stage 3 NREM sleep. But some are hitting the alarm clock, ready to begin an extreme morning routine consisting of exercising, planning, and becoming the ‘best’ version of themselves.
In recent months, we’ve seen one such routine go viral on social media.
Fitness influencer Ashton Hall documents his morning routine for his millions of followers. The routine typically begins at 3.50am, when Hall engages in extreme self-care rituals, including plunging his face into a bowl of ice water and lemon. 
At around 5am, he takes time to reflect by reading, journalling, and meditating. Hall then heads to the gym, where he goes hell for leather on various exercise machines before heading back home to begin the second part of his morning at 8am.
From there, we’ll see Hall, now suited and booted, sitting at his desk, doing one last punishing face dunk in a clear bowl of ice water and rubbing a freshly peeled banana skin on his face, for good measure. Handed his breakfast by his personal cook, he’s now ready to begin his working day at around 9am.
Hall executes the routine with absolute earnestness, making it compelling viewing material. Each moment of his morning is time-stamped, so it’s easy to compare yourself to people like him as you see him do push-ups at 4.37am, knowing you are in dreamland.
Take it to the limit
These types of viral morning routines can awaken feelings of inadequacy in some viewers, leading them to believe that they, too, should engage in such extreme morning rituals to be successful.
“Extreme morning routines are unhealthy and lead to exhaustion,” says health psychologist Aideen Stack (Whole Health Psychology).
She believes perfectionism is likely a driving force. “People are typically driven by the idea that ‘I am not good enough’. That notion tells our brains ‘we need to do this’, ‘we have to do more’, but ultimately we’re never going to be ‘good enough’ for a mind that works like that.
“Viral morning routines like this are dangerous because they tap into the people who already have that perfectionism mindset and anxiety around not feeling good enough.”

By partaking in an extreme routine, Stack says that we generally enter into a cycle of never feeling like we have or are doing enough.
Setting an alarm for 4am or 5am may compromise our health and wellbeing, driven by a toxic grind culture. A study from Westminster Research found that those who wake up before 6am can have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol than those who sleep in later.
“Sleep should be prioritised more than anything,” says Stack. 
“Nutrition, movement, and sleep are the most important pillars for our health, but I always maintain that sleep is the number one because the other two aren’t possible without it.”
If you’re hungry for productivity and want to join early birds like Hall, you may feel great during your first week of trying it out, but first, ask yourself if this type of morning routine is sustainable.
“It’s just not realistic for the average person to be getting up at 4am and going out to the gym, etc,” says Stack. 
“You might see someone ‘achieving’ a lot online through these routines, but it’s important to remind yourself that, more often than not, the people making these videos are extremely privileged.
“They have help in other areas of their life where their food is cooked for them, their bed is made, and they work out in a private gym.”
Making sacrifices
Not only is it unrealistic for most to follow an extreme morning routine, but certain sacrifices must be made in exchange. The average person should aim for between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. If your wake-up time is 4am, you would need to be in bed for 8pm to get eight hours’ sleep.
These bedtimes would mean “missing out on connections like meeting friends for a catch-up or having dinner with your family”, says Stack. “This extreme morning routine involves a lot of sacrificing, which isn’t always healthy.”
So, what kind of morning routine should we aim for?
Sleep coach Anne Marie Boyhan says the most critical part of a morning routine is getting enough sleep. “Once you’ve done that, I recommend small, achievable tasks. Make your bed, shower, get dressed, pop on your SPF, have breakfast within 30 minutes of waking and get sunlight, ideally
with a slow and short walk outside.”
Despite what we’re fed online, a morning routine that prioritises sleep, mindful movement, and stress-free activities is how to feel your best and most productive self, says Boyhan.
Waking up extremely early and overloading your mind and body with intense exercise and rituals may look impressive on an Instagram Reel, but the reality of living in constant pursuit of perfection tells a different story.

From as little as €1 a week with our digital introductory offer.
Already a subscriber? Sign in
Irish Examiner’s WhatsApp channel
Follow and share the latest news and stories
Celebrating 25 years of health and wellbeing
More in this section




Discover the great outdoors on Ireland’s best walking trails
© Examiner Echo Group Limited, Linn Dubh, Assumption Road, Blackpool, Cork. Registered in Ireland: 523712.
© Examiner Echo Group Limited

source