Five Things I Never Do Before 8am

Because that’s deep work time

According to the gurus, you should do many things before 8 a.m. Cold shower. Meditation. Exercise.

I don’t do those things. Here are some other things I don’t do.

• Check socials — it’s easy to get into the habit of checking every social site to see what happened overnight. But the type of energy I have first thing is best used for deep work. I do my social checking and posting later on when my energy flags.
• Answer email — My work day officially starts at 9 a.m. I’m not answering emails before then. Again, it’s deep work time.
• Eat — While full-on intermittent fasting doesn’t suit me, a 12:12 schedule does, and I do that deep work best on an empty stomach.

What do you avoid before 8 a.m., and why?