By Mallory Mattingly
Shawn Johnson East says waking up early helps her be a better mom by bringing new rhythms of peace into her home.
“I am doing something I never in my life thought I would ever do. I’ve been waking up at 4:40 a.m., which sounds miserable,” she said in a podcast with her husband Andrew. “It’s been giving me this peace. I have two solid hours in the morning, or an hour and a half sometimes when the kids wake up early, or an hour even to myself, where I can work out, I can shower, I can have coffee, I can make the kids breakfast.”
“I can have this time to decompress myself and gather my thoughts and gather my attitude and energy for the day,” she added. “By the time the kids wake up, I feel so accomplished. I told Andrew I’ve been feeling like a better mom because of it. I feel like I have a larger capacity for our kids to feel less unhinged.”
Andrew agreed.
“Why does that make me feel grounded like an early morning? I don’t think it’s for everybody. I get a lot of satisfaction by taking care of the people in my life, kids and you included,” he explained. “So like, I want to do that. It doesn’t feel as fun when there’s chaos involved.”
Shawn continued, “I would say the groundedness comes from knowing I am contributing and being a good teammate and feeling good about that, and it’s an absence of the chaos in the midst of that. So like, the early morning helps me contribute in a way that is not chaotic, I don’t know how you do that in your life, it’s working for us.”
The former Olympic gymnast was just recognized as one of the most powerful women of 2025.
Per Adweek, Johnson’s social media following reaches “13.9 million fans across her social accounts, with nearly 2 billion views in 2024 alone. Balancing business with motherhood, she founded the Moment Makers Foundation, supporting the families of competing Olympians and Paralympians with child care assistance, and actively contributes to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Serving on multiple boards and collaborating with major brands further solidifies her influence and impact across sports and business.”
Related: Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East Reveal Parenting, Marriage Insights
Shawn is also involved with the Pro Volleyball Federation as an investor in the Indy Ignite franchise.
“It’s been such a joy helping tell the story of this revolutionary league and these incredible athletes,” Shawn said.
Though it might not be for everyone, waking up early to focus on her family keeps Shawn grounded as she takes on each day’s joys and challenges.
Read Next: ‘Greatest Time of My Life’: Shawn Johnson and Husband Andrew East Talk Parenting
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