Many people falsely believe that morning routines are brutal and unproductive. However, its quite the opposite if you plan it right. Discussions about morning routines are starting to become viral with productivity and self improvement influencers. Not only are they claiming that morning routines are productive but claim that their morning routines are what made them successful.
Andrew Huberman on his Huberman Lab Podcast where he discusses “science and science based tools for everyday life” has a more scientific approach to making a productive morning routine. Huberman’s routine is scientifically accurately and simply productive. His morning routine can be simplified in 8 fundamental steps that I will be explaining in this post. If you are interested in learning about all of the small details feel free to check out his podcast.
8 Fundamental Steps to Andrew Huberman’s Morning Routine
1. Wake up early
Waking up early can help you feel more focused and energized throughout the whole day. Additionally, waking up early can give you more time for deep work, and is beneficial to regulate your circadian clock rhythm. Andrew Huberman wakes up naturally without an alarm between 5:30 am and 6:00 am.
Getting 7+ hours of sleep is still optimal for your health, so its important that you go to bed earlier the night before.
2. Get light exposure soon as possible
Andrew Huberman gets at least 10-20 minutes of natural sunlight as soon as possible in the morning, preferably in the first hour from waking up. Sunlight is critical to allow your body to properly regulate the body’s internal clock, overall mood and energy levels throughout the day.
If sunlight isn’t available within the first hour of waking up, using artificial lighting can be beneficial to postpone your natural sunlight exposure.
3. Hydrate with saltwater
Andrew Huberman doesn’t start his day with a cup of coffee but one or two glasses of salt water with a squeeze of lemon. Hydrating with a cup or two of water early in the morning with water is very beneficial especially for your focus but Dr. Huberman additionally adds lemon and salt.
“What that means is neurons need sodium. They need magnesium and they need potassium in order to function … we do tend to get dehydrated at night even if the day is not very hot … So, I make myself drink this water with a little bit of sea salt.”
Huberman Lab Podcast
The ratio of the amount salt to water can vary but its advisable that you use a half of a teaspoon of salt for one standard glass of water.
Drinking a glass of salt water after waking up then delaying your caffeine intake is an effective way to reap the benefits from both the caffeine and salt water mixture.
4. Nsdr(non-sleep deep rest)
Andrew Huberman does a 10-30 minute long non-sleep deep rest everyday. Non-sleep deep rest or nsdr is similar to meditation where you lie down silently but instead of yourself trying to clear your mind, an instructor gives a series of protocols that helps you clear your mind. The protocols are typically breathing exercises and body scans. Nsdr has many health benefits such as reduced stress and increased focus.
5. Delay your caffeine intake by 90-120 minutes
Huberman waits 90-120 minutes after waking up to have his daily dose of caffeine. He personally prefers yerba mate over coffee but yerba mate, coffee, and tea are all fine. Delaying your caffeine intake is a great way to prevent an afternoon crash.
If you are interested in knowing the best time to drink coffee, Click Here to read the Self Improvement Monk’s article “Why the Best Time to Drink Coffee isn’t After Waking Up”.
6. Exercise
Huberman exercises 6 days a week with both weight lifting and cardio sessions. When he is weight lifting he will rest 90 seconds after each set when lifting light weights and 2-3 minutes when lifting heavy weights.
He recommends that your approach to weightlifting should alternate month by month. For the first month you want to have weight lifting sessions that you perform 3-4 sets of 5-8 reps of heavy weight then performing 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps the next month. After your done with both months repeat the pattern.
7. Cold exposure
Huberman includes a session or few of cold exposure every morning. This can either be done by using a ice bath or cold shower, but baths tend to be more beneficial. Although many studies have been done with 60 degree water, a temperature that it is uncomfortable but safe enough to stay in for a 5+ minutes is ideal. Keep in mind that everyone has a different cold tolerance so there is not an ideal temperature for everyone.
But how long should you aim for? Huberman advises that you should get 11 minutes of deliberate cold exposure a week to reap the benefits. This should be broken into 2-4 sessions a week and you could do more cold exposure if you wish.
8. Deep work
Huberman doesn’t recommend that you work for long continuous hours if your work doesn’t require you to do so. He advises that you break up the work in 60-90 minute deep work sessions to become drastically more productive. You will find that you will get more work done in a shorter amount of time.
Conclusion
Andrew Huberman’s morning routine is definitely worth a try. Personally I have never felt so productive, fulfilling, and physically fit after adapting these 8 steps to my morning routine. If you haven’t tried Andrew Huberman’s morning routine, why haven’t you?
