3 Essential Morning Habits For a Productive Day

The cult of productivity worships the early riser. If you’re not up for the 5 am club or the 7 am BNI meeting, here’s some good news: you don’t need it.

You can be productive even without waking up at 4:30 am. It’s all about how you start your day.

The first hour of your day is crucial — it sets the tone.

I recently learned that the practice I’ve been doing for years is actually proven by science to kickstart my circadian rhythm, which controls many of the body’s automatic functions as well as our sleep cycles.

Here are the 3 main components of my routine.

(1) Consistent Wake Up Time

Your body will adapt to what you ask it to do, so it helps it to be consistent. Even an extra hour of sleep can throw off your sleep for a week or more.

If you’re going to change your wake up time, do it gradually: adjust by 10–15 minutes at a time.

Consistency in your wake up time is super important for your circadian rhythms.

Related to this: no snoozing.

It may feel good in the moment, but it’s actually counterproductive to getting effective rest. Instead of hitting snooze, set your alarm for the actual time you need to wake up and commit to getting out of bed.

(2) Get Outside As Soon As Possible

On a recent episode of the Tim Ferriss podcast, Dr. Andrew Huberman recommended getting outside for 2 to 10 minutes within 30 minutes of waking up.

Getting outside exposes you to sunlight. You take in the daylight through your eyes, which are a part of the brain. This is what kickstarts your circadian rhythms. Those first views of daylight also tell the body when to start producing melatonin, the chemical that helps induce sleepiness.

This works even if there’s cloud cover. Standing by a window or turning on lights doesn’t have the same effect. You actually need to go outside.

I find that stepping outside offers another benefit as well: you’re inhaling fresh air.

I turned this practice into a ritual by playing a specific 6-minute track while I stand outside and begin to stretch gently.

(3) Move Your Body

The best way to generate energy for the day and get the creative juices flowing is by literally moving your body.

For me, my morning workout is how I plug in my brain so I can focus when I sit down to work. My body and mind generally need a certain amount of vigor and intensity in the morning. Your needs might be different, but I don’t know of anyone who isn’t served by at least some morning movement.

Ideally you’d do some movement outside, but it’s also ok to come back inside for your workout.

It’s important to note here that you don’t need a lot of time for this. If you’re really in a time crunch you can combine your 2–10 minutes outside with some exercise.

Consistency Creates Consistency

You don’t need to wake up at 5 am; what’s most important is that you set a time that works for you and you remain consistent with it. This includes the weekends. Your body doesn’t know what day it is.

I have found that when I implement this consistently my sleep schedule regulates and it’s easier to wake up and go to sleep.

Here’s a haiku to help you remember these 3 crucial steps to starting a productive day:

wake up with the sun
get outside inhale fresh air
and move your body