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Morning routine for a 6am shift
A 6am start leaves very little room in the morning, so most of the work happens the night before. Here's a sample timeline you can adjust to your own commute and get-ready time.
Sample timeline
This example assumes 35 minutes to get ready, a 20-minute commute and arriving 15 minutes early. Change any of those and every time above "Arrive" moves by the same amount. The shift routine builder does that maths for you.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 4:50 am | Alarm goes off |
| 4:55 am | Water, bathroom, lights on |
| 5:05 am | Shower and get dressed (clothes laid out last night) |
| 5:10 am | Breakfast you can eat in 10 minutes, or pack it |
| 5:22 am | Grab the packed bag, lunch and water bottle |
| 5:25 am | Leave home |
| 5:45 am | Arrive, park, walk in |
| 6:00 am | Shift starts |
The night before
Notes for a 6am start
- 6am starts are common in warehouses, retail stocking, food service and some hospital units. The commute is often quieter, so it can be quicker than you expect; time it once.
- Breakfast is the step that most often gets skipped. Pack something you can eat on your first break instead.
- Make the getting-dressed step automatic: same uniform or outfit set out every night.
Want this on paper? The Shift Work Morning Planner turns this into a reusable before-I-leave checklist and bag check, with separate pages for day, night and rotating shifts.
See the Shift Work Morning Planner for Nurses → $14 · undated PDF