Morning Routine
My optimized morning routine, refined over the past year. Key to my productivity and wellbeing.
The Routine
| Time | Activity | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 5:30 | Wake up, no snooze | - |
| 5:35 | Hydrate (500ml water) | 2 min |
| 5:40 | Meditation | 10 min |
| 5:50 | Exercise (gym or run) | 60 min |
| 6:50 | Shower + get ready | 20 min |
| 7:10 | Breakfast | 20 min |
| 7:30 | Deep work block | 90 min |
| 9:00 | Check email/messages | 15 min |
| 9:15 | Start "regular" workday | - |
Why This Works
No Phone First Thing
The phone stays in another room until after meditation. This prevents reactive mode and protects mental clarity.
Exercise Early
Working out before work means it always happens. Energy and mood are better all day. See Health Dashboard.
Deep Work Before Distractions
The 7:30-9:00 block is sacred. No Slack, no email, no meetings. This is when I do my best work on Building a Personal Website and other projects.
Consistent Wake Time
Even weekends. Sleep consistency matters more than sleep duration according to Book - Why We Sleep (currently reading).
Evening Prep
The morning routine actually starts the night before:
- Lay out gym clothes
- Pack bag
- Prep breakfast items
- Review tomorrow's calendar
- Lights out by 10:30 PM
Adaptations
Low Energy Days
- Skip gym, do light yoga
- Still meditate (even 5 minutes helps)
- Still protect deep work time
Travel/Weekends
- Maintain wake time within 1 hour
- Shortened meditation (5 min)
- Flexible exercise (walk, hotel gym)
Progress
It took 3 months to build this routine consistently. Key lessons from Book - Atomic Habits:
- Start small (began with just meditation)
- Never miss twice
- Habit stack (coffee triggers deep work)
- Environment design (gym bag by door)
Results
Since implementing this routine:
- More consistent energy levels
- Better focus during work
- Lost 5 kg without "dieting"
- Reduced anxiety
- More creative output