Arthur Brooks is a Harvard professor and social scientist, best known for his work on happiness. His work focuses on the science of human happiness, and offers strategies for living a fulfilling life. Here are a few of his suggestions.
According to Brooks, a strict morning routine will help lift your mood and improve your productivity. Here are the things he suggests doing every day.
1. Exercise early, as soon as you wake up. It will boost your mood and lower stress.
2. Add a spiritual or reflective practice, like meditation or journaling.
3. Delay coffee. Wait until around 7:30 am to drink coffee, to avoid a potential energy crash later in the day.
4. Have a high protein breakfast.
5. Witness the sunrise. Start your day with a mindful moment. It can improve creativity and focus.
6. Prioritize an early bedtime.
Obviously Arthur Brooks is a very disciplined man. I would find it hard to do all these. I already do #1 and #3. Maybe I could add one more behavior to my morning routine. Brooks also talks about other behaviors like joining a club (for socialization) and pursuing lifelong learning to improve your well being.
Brooks' science shows that we are more creative and productive in the morning. Research shows that getting up before the sun rises can improve creativity, focus and memory. So the old saying, "I'm a morning person," or "I do my best work at night," may not be true.
You may already do many of these behaviors, but if you want to add to your morning routine, the easiest thing to do is WALK.
I enjoyed this! I've been doing the same morning practice for about five years - I wake up very early, meditate for 5 minutes, make my coffee, write in my journal for 20, then go to my gym. It really is the most important part of my day.
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