My morning routine: scientific design & human optimization

When I receive the flattering question of how do I manage to do lots of things while maintaining my relationships/sanity/fun time, in addition to my pro tips, I often point to my non-negotiable morning routine. Though I don’t complete the whole routine every day, I’ve integrated the best practices to optimize happiness, productivity, and health to formulate an efficient, highly-leveraged routine that I enjoy most mornings.

If you want to win your mornings so that you win the day, come with me on a typical Wednesday:

7:00am:

• Pleasant-sounding iPhone alarm rings
  1. I put my phone on airplane mode before bed to reduce both EMF and distractions
  2. My phone stays in the kitchen for ~an hour during my routine, such that I’m not immediately put into reactive mode by checking email/social media
  3. Make sure you like the sound of your alarm – there’s nothing worse to waking up to an annoying buzzer!
• I look out my window and try to find a pretty bird
• I write in my 5 minute journal to get a morning dose of inspiring quotations, affirmations, gratitude, and organization

such an effective use of 5 minutes

• Say good morning to my pet rabbit “hey gorgeous!”
• Start hot water in electric kettle
• Go to the bathroom (and enjoy my mirror covered with affirmations)

my bathroom has become a happy place 🙂

7:10am

• Start Daily Boost podcast
  • Today’s episode is is called “Setting yourself up to win” – perfect!
  • Listening to podcasts on double speed is an amazing efficiency hack
• Make and drink a glass of hot lemon a/o apple cider vinegar (ACV) water
  • I use ½ a lemon (if I have the time/supply) or ~2 tsp of ACV
  • I drink with straw so that the acid doesn’t wear my tooth enamel
• Set up coffee maker while finishing hot lemon water
• Start EoFire podcast
• Mix up and drink green juice powder
  • After a LOT of research, the best one (in terms of cost, nutrition, taste) is Amazing Grass (~$0.50 per serving)
  • If I’m on my game and have bone broth made, I add that to my green juice
• Maybe start cooking breakfast/lunch

7:20am

• Make my bed
  1. This was shown to be one of the highest ROI habits to increase people’s feeling of happiness and accomplishment
• Grab a cup of coffee and start sipping it
  1. I make ~2 cups and drink one in the morning, then take one to work to drink at ~9:30/10am
  2. Caffeine on an empty stomach mobilizes fat cells, so having some caffeine before an easy workout or light movement (like yoga) is preferable for metabolism
  3. If I’m doing a long workout, I’ll add a TB of coconut oil to coffee, but it’s usually black 🙂
• 5 minutes of yoga in my bedroom
• Start another uplifting podcast – some of my favorites are:
  1. Model Health Show
  2. Badass and Bare
  3. Paleo Women Podcast
  4. Happier with Gretchen Rubin
• Quick workout (which depends on day/month, as I take on many monthly challenges and have routines with friends (walking, biking, lifting, etc)).
  1. On Wednesdays, I do 50 kettlebell swings and 50 pushups in the morning (and usually an afternoon bike ride with a friend)
  2. I record all movements on a fridge calendar (I have almost 2 years’ worth at this point). I also include a monthly goal or challenge or prevailing idea/mantra if relevant
  3. It helps to have a pen on a magnet right there to make it super easy to write!

I record all movements on this fridge calendar, even if it’s just “REST”

7:45

• Five minute cold shower (because I’m doing a month-long cold shower challenge) (and because I’m a masochist)
  • adding singing and deep breathing has taken this ritual from painful to oddly pleasurable 😉

now I’m amped up!

• Hop out of shower and snap an accountability selfie
• Check the weather (this is the first time I look at my phone and take it off airplane mode) to pick out clothes and get dressed
  • dressing in bright colors makes me happy, especially if I’m wearing Science Pants!!
• Cook breakfast (with a podcast or music going if I’m in a sing-a-long mood) and pack lunch
• Check phone calendar and email to see if there are any fires to put out

8:20

• Eat breakfast as mindfully and gratefully as possible
  1. Most days, breakfast = 2 eggs and a skillet of veggies (that are mostly frozen because that’s way easier than fresh) along with super spices turmeric, cayenne, cumin, black pepper, and sea salt with dulse
  2. Vitamins: 2000 IU Vitamin D, 1000 mg magnesium with B vitamins
  3. I only take a multivitamin if I skip my green juice
  4. I tailor my supplements based on my genetic makeup, an analysis I’ve done for myself and family/friends (ask me more if you’re interested!)

this breakfast makes me way happier than a random muffin

• Brush teeth & apply hair and face serums

8:45

• 5 minute quiet meditation (sometimes more time if I’m running early)
  1. Half the time, I end up just lovingly watching my bunny eat
• Jot down random thoughts (usually ½ – 1 page)
  1. My own version of Morning Pages
• Hop on my bike or in my car to get on to my workday!
  1. If I’m in my car, you know I’m either devouring another podcast or singing along to loud music!

Notes:

1. I realize I spend most of my time cooking and eating, so if I need to shorten my routine, that’s where I can gain time. In my current situation, I can spend the time on food, which is enjoyable for me, and get out around 9am.
2. I also realize that I could wake up earlier, and half the time I wake up sometime before my alarm (usually between 6:10 – 6:50), and am psyched to get through my routine and get out earlier and/or extend the fun parts (like meditation)
3. I don’t do the full routine every day – for example, on Thursdays I meet a friend to walk and have to leave by 7, so I wake up earlier and do a few quick things. I think it’s important to be realistic and flexible – I do what I can, and I’ve dropped the all-or-nothing approach. Five minutes of yoga is better than 0, and 1 minute is also better than 0. And on days that I do 0 minutes of yoga, I still love myself 😉