Your morning routine can either set you up for a highly productive day or leave you feeling stressed and guilty. Many people struggle with either elaborate routines that delay work or no routines that lead to rushed mornings. This guide will show you how to use neuroscience to make your mornings as productive as possible.
The Morning Routine Dilemma
You might have fallen into one of two traps: a sprawling morning routine filled with biohacks that delays actual work until late morning or no routine at all, leading to stress and rushed mornings. Both approaches have their pitfalls, and it’s crucial to find a balance that boosts productivity without causing burnout.
The Real Purpose of a Morning Routine
A morning routine is meant to heighten your productivity by increasing your flow proneness, a concept discovered by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Flow proneness is your tendency to experience Flow State, where work feels effortless and time flies by.
Neuroscience of Flow Pronness
Your flow proneness is naturally highest upon waking up due to low cognitive load and brain waves that are close to the state of flow. Therefore, the best time to dive into high-priority work is within 90 seconds of waking up.
The Wake Up and Flow Approach
Step 1: Wake Up and Work
Instead of an elaborate routine, wake up and dive into your highest priority work within 90 seconds. Your brain waves are closer to Theta or Delta, making it easier to slip into a flow state. Work on high-priority tasks for one to three hours before doing anything else.
Step 2: Recovery Routine
After your initial work session, engage in activities that make you feel great and help you recover. This could include lemon water, stretching, yoga, red light therapy, or ice baths. This “inverted morning routine” harnesses your natural flow proneness and ensures you don’t skip recovery.
Tips for Implementing the Wake Up and Flow Routine
- Prepare in Advance: Set up your high-priority task the night before in extreme detail. This way, you can start working mindlessly right after waking up without wasting time figuring out what to do.
- Allocate Enough Time: Aim for one to three hours of dedicated work to fully harness the flow state. Ensure you have a long, uninterrupted flow block to maximize productivity.
Conclusion
By adopting the wake up and flow approach, you can start your day with a burst of productivity and still enjoy the benefits of a well-rounded routine. This method balances the best aspects of biohacking and high-achiever strategies, helping you achieve your goals without burning out.