When we arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” —Marcus Aurelius
1: “The first hour of our morning sets the tone for the entire day,” Sahil Bloom writes in his book The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life.
Sahil writes: “Thoughtful movement and nutrition during that window will make us feel more energized, focused, and productive and provide a sense of structure and stability in an otherwise unpredictable world.”
2: He introduces five principles of an effective morning routine in his terrific book.
Morning Routine Principle 1: Wake Up
“Maintaining a consistent wake time each day has been scientifically proven to provide real health benefits,” Sahil writes. “it regulates the body’s circadian rhythm, improves cognitive function, and boosts energy levels, mood, and overall health.”
What Sahil does: “Waking up early is the easiest way to improve our odds of success. We don’t have to wake up early to be successful, but we rarely find an early riser who isn’t winning,” he observes.
He wakes up at 4:30 am on weekdays and around 5:00 am on weekends. To make this work, I try to be in bed by 8:30 pm on weeknights so I can get 7 to 8 hours of sleep.
What we can learn: Wake up on weekdays at a fixed time. Perhaps allow ourselves an extra thirty to sixty minutes on the weekends.
One practical tip: Place our phone at least ten feet from our beds, ideally outside our bedroom. This requires us to get out of bed each morning to turn off the alarm. No hitting the snooze button!
Morning Routine Principle 2: Hydrate
“Most of us are chronically dehydrated,” Sahil explains. Unfortunately, “this affects all areas of health.”
What Sahil does: “I hydrate in the morning with a cocktail of sixteen ounces of water, greens powder, and electrolytes.”
Hydrating in the morning kick-starts metabolism, improves memory, boosts energy, and supports digestion and skin health by flushing out toxins.
What we can learn: Drink sixteen ounces of water upon rising. Consider adding lemon, electrolytes, or greens powder to enhance effects.
Morning Routine Principle 3: Move
We need to move our bodies each day. Without fail.
“We were made to move,” Sahil notes. “Daily activity (thirty to sixty minutes) is essential to health, brain function, and happiness.”
Getting going is easy. Simply commit to doing more of what we enjoy doing.
What Sahil does: “I use my 5-5-5-30 routine: five push-ups, five squats, five lunges, and a thirty-second plank. We can do this while your coffee is brewing or immediately after we wake up. It will give you an instant boost of energy and get your blood flowing.”
What we can learn: Choose a few simple movements to start our day. We can lift weights, do some mobility exercises, or stretch. The best part? They can be easy. The point is to get our bodies moving and the blood flowing.
Morning Routine Principle 4: Get Outside
Exposure to natural light in the morning increases our focus, improves our mood via increased serotonin production, and serves as a natural source of vitamin D.
Spending time outside and away from screens can help reduce stress and improve mental clarity.
What Sahil does: “My thirty-minute walk with my son is a nonnegotiable part of my morning routine. It always leaves me feeling healthy, happy, and creative.”
What we can learn: “Get outside and walk to start our day,” Sahil recommends. “Fifteen minutes is all we need. Leave our phones on silent (or leave it at home). Allow ourselves to think freely and breathe.”
Morning Routine Principle 5: Focus
We weren’t wired to work nine to five.
“Modern work culture is a remnant of an earlier age—long periods of the same steady monotonous tasks,” Sahil writes.
“If our goal is to create,” he adds, “we must work like a lion. Sprint when inspired.”
Then, rest and repeat.
What Sahil does: “I always start my day with two hours of focused work on the most important tasks,” he says.
What we can learn: “Establish our most important tasks for the next day the night before,” Sahil suggests. “Go through them during a focused block of work to start our morning.”
3: Here is a summary of Sahil’s five science-based principles of a great morning routine:
- Wake up: Set a consistent wake time on weekdays. Allow up to an hour more on weekends.
- Hydrate: Drink sixteen ounces of water as soon as we wake up. Add lemon, electrolytes, or greens powder if desired.
- Move: Do simple strength or mobility exercises for 5–30 minutes to get our bodies moving.
- Get outside: Spend at least fifteen minutes in natural light early in our day.
- Focus: Set a block of time to work on the most important tasks for the day.
“If we incorporate our own version of these five core principles,” he says, “we will be well on your way to building your perfect morning routine.”
More tomorrow!
_____________________________
Reflection: How intentionally am I using my first hour of the day—am I letting it get hijacked by screens and urgency, or am I investing it in habits that energize, center, and focus me?
Action: Choose one of Sahil’s five principles—wake time, hydration, movement, getting outside, or focused work—and design a simple, concrete practice I will follow every morning for the next week.
What did you think of this post?
