By Grace McIntosh Guest writer for AJC this month
I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Grace McIntosh (BBC broadcaster) on her Quarter Life Quesions podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/habits-routines-goals-how-do-i-build-habits-that-last/id1809452545?i=1000712390644
And we discussed all things habit related, including the Tiktok viral challenges including the Hard 75 and the 5-9am challenge. Have you tried either of these? My feelings on it were, approach with caution! And Grace has come up with her own way of making it work for her, which is exactly what I feel is the best solution when you can adapt these methods and make them work for you. That’s the way they will work best, and become sustainable allowing you to fully embed them into your life and eventually, they’ll become routine.
So this month, Grace is our guest writer and has shared her personal experience for our blog. Over to you, Grace!
My mum swears by the Hal Erold’s Miracle Morning routine.
You know the one — wake up at the crack of dawn, journal, meditate, visualise, read, and exercise before most people have even opened their eyes. She read the book and got absolutely hooked and to her credit has been very consistent ever since. She thrives on it.
Me? Not so much.
I work shifts — and I’m not just talking your standard 9-5 variation. I mean early shifts. Sometimes I start at 4:30am, which means my alarm sometimes goes off at 3:30am (yes, it is as awful as it sounds). So when I attempted the Miracle Morning for the first time I quickly realised it’s not going to work for me and my life with my varying work schedule.
But I did love the idea of finding a way to give myself the time to do all the things that otherwise I wouldn’t have time to fit into my often busy and quite manic life.
So, I created something new. I call it: The Miracle Hour.
What Is the Miracle Hour?
Put simply: it’s an hour of time carved out just for me — and it can happen any time of the day. Morning, lunch break, late afternoon, or even in the evening after work. It’s an hour I try to protect when life feels chaotic and I’ve been racing around all day working down my never-ending to-do list.
Here’s how I break it down:
3 x 20-minute activities:
- Reading – Something just for pleasure or growth. A few pages of a book I’ve been “meaning to read forever” feels like a little win.
- Prayer / Mindfulness – A mix of quiet reflection, journaling, or time to connect to my faith. Whatever my mind needs that day.
- Stretch / Movement – A walk, a few yoga stretches, or just rolling out my shoulders and moving gently.
It’s simple. It’s doable. And it’s flexible — which, honestly, is what I need most right now.
You Can Totally Make It Your Own
If an hour feels like too much — start with 30 minutes. If 20 minutes per activity doesn’t work for you — try 4 x 15 minutes instead.
The beauty of this idea is that it’s not about rigid structure or rules. It’s about reclaiming time for the things that make you feel more human and less burnt out. Make it work for you and think about how you would want it to look.
Why I Love It
- It’s fulfilling, especially on busy days when I feel like I haven’t had a moment to myself.
- It helps me actually do the things I always say I don’t have time for.
- It’s flexible and reminds me that self-care doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing or before 6am.
- It’s improved my focus and productivity, particularly when I do my Miracle Hour in the middle of the day. It’s like a little break away from whatever I’m doing and then when I return back to the task I feel like I now have more clarity.
If the Miracle Morning works for you then that’s amazing (and I have full respect for my mum and everyone else who makes it happen!). But if your schedule doesn’t allow for that kind of routine, I’m here to tell you it’s okay to bend the rules. You can still show up for yourself in small but powerful ways and all you need is an hour.
So, what would your Miracle Hour look like?
If you’d like to know more about Grace and her brilliant podcast, take a listen and check out the link: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/habits-routines-goals-how-do-i-build-habits-that-last/id1809452545?i=1000712390644
I have enjoyed every single episode, and am certainly not a 20 something! But I think we can all take valuable advice from her guests. I particularly loved the money and investment episode and also the personal styling show which gave me so many ideas. Grace is a professional broadcaster, which shows in her work, and it was an absolute pleasure to feature in her show. I hope you enjoy listening and please get in touch here if you have any reflections, questions or comments. I always love to hear from you.
Abi
