AIRabbitBecoming an Early Bird
Those of you who follow my writing will probably know that I am used to discussing technology and, from time to time, productivity. This is and will remain the core of this blog. However, there are a few personal experiences that have significantly helped me, and I'd like to share them with you.
My morning routine is one of them.
For most of my life, I've been a night owl. The evening hours are when I'm most focused and productive. Mornings, on the other hand, have always been a struggle - I often operate at half my potential during the early hours.
I began to wonder: How can I harness the same level of focus and productivity in the morning that I naturally have in the evening?
I experimented with many things over the years, both intentionally and unintentionally:
Breakfast
Exercise
Social contacts
Music/news
Or just changing my thoughts
Some worked for a while; others didn't.
But over time, these three routines almost ALWAYS worked.
After making them a consistent part of my mornings for over six months now, they've given me benefits I never had before (as a night owl, I have to admit).
Short term (same day):
Good mood
High creativity
High motivation
Cognitive performance (hyperfocus)
Physical energy
Long term:
Better physical and mental health
Generally in good shape
Here are the three routines:
Before we dive into the three habits, there's one incredibly important principle that has helped me stick to them, regardless of any negative thoughts or residual fatigue from a bad night's sleep or stressful events the day before. Do not think about anything - no phone, no recap, nothing - until you have done these three things.
#1: Excercise ( 20–30 minutes)
There are certainly many ways to get your body moving and I am sure most of them will help you get up to speed.
What has helped me the most are high intensity exercises like jumping or juggling. To be honest I am too lazy to leave the house in the morning so I just do jumping and body weight exercises for 20–30 minutes.
#2: Cold shower (3–5 minutes)
If you live in a cold area (probably even a hot area), it is hard to imagine not being used to it and maybe even being afraid of it. But believe me, I was not that kind of person. But I read and heard a lot about the benefits of cold showers for short and long term benefits, like from the amazing huberman labs. (admittedly, I listened to all of his podcasts). So I did it the first time for 30 seconds, then 40 seconds, then it became a habit to shower for about 3–5 minutes every single day after exercise. And believe me, after these two habits, you are a new person.
#3: Breathwork and mediation (10 minutes)
Last but not least is a nice to have, but already incredibly powerful way to gain focus for the day. I just do the Tailor's Seat and breathwork and focus on my breath and my body, if thoughts come up I just let them through but try not to go into them. There are lots of instructions on how to do this. For me, I love simplicity, so I keep it super simple: Take a deep breath. Short pause, breathe out. 10 minutes. That's it.
I started with these habits gradually for a few days and I found that they worked all the time, almost always just work, regardless of external influences like weather or news or whatever. And my main takeaway is this:
I cannot change the world, but I can change my perception of it (by changing my state).
