The Morning Routine that Has Been Making Me Feel Like a God
Your mornings can single-handedly make or break your day
“Lose an hour in the morning, and you will spend all day looking for it,” — Richard Whately
Research shows that your brain, mainly the pre-frontal cortex, is the most active right after you wake up. The night’s sleep recharges your energy to its peak levels. And post-waking up, your mind is at its clearest.
I’ve experienced this firsthand. I’ve never been a big fan of routines, so I naturally didn’t have a morning routine either — and every morning would be a random hit or miss.
But recently, rejoining a gym changed everything — it inadvertently created a morning routine for me. I haven’t been able to follow it every single day, but on the days I do?
I romp around in god mode—with an ultra-optimistic mood, inexhaustible energy, and an insatiable drive to do things.
Here’s the 4-Step Routine
I’ve been waking up at around 5:45 AM, but you don’t have to wake up that early. Choose a time based on your own preference and convenience — just make sure you get at least 7–8 hours of sleep.
The duration of your sleep matters more than when you go to bed or wake up. The reason I’m stressing so much about your sleep is that it directly affects your mornings.
Not even the best of morning routines can fix an awful night of sleep.
Post waking up from a refreshing sleep, here are the 4 things I do (and want you to do):
1. Chugging Down 2 Glasses of Water
I’ll have my bottle right next to my bed, so the moment I wake up, I down some. Even better, keep a closed glass of water on your phone — you’ll be reminded when you instinctively reach for your phone the next morning.
The benefits? Plenty of them — kick-started metabolism, timely rehydration, reduced heartburn, a strengthened immune system, etc.
2. Working out
Then I get ready, gobble a few watermelon slices or a banana, chug a glass of cold black coffee, and head to the gym. Some days I’ll skip the food and work out in a fasted state.
Apart from general benefits such as stronger immunity, reduced cardiac risk, and better mood; fasted workouts have additional advantages — enhanced fat burning, higher endurance, more growth hormone production, etc.
“Exercise not only changes your body, but it also changes your mind, your attitude, and your mood.”
3. A Post-Workout Cold Shower
Back from the gym, I let the shiveringly cold water wash away all the sweat and grime. It’s torture, but of the beneficial kind—boosted immunity, higher testosterone, better skin & hair health, alertness, etc.
Cold showers can seem daunting. So, in your initial days, start your showers with hot water and end with cold.
4. 15 to 30 Minutes of Meditation
Refreshed and dressed, I play some chakra music and immerse myself in some stress-killing meditation.
If 15 minutes seems too much, start with 5. If not 5, then 2. Whatever it is, just start — and gradually increase the duration.
After all, meditation is one of the best things you can do for your mental health and overall wellbeing.
The Real Reason This Is so Incredibly Effective
The beauty of this routine is the incredible synergy among the 4 things.
The metabolism kick-starting effect of drinking water enables your workout to burn more calories. The “feel-good” endorphins released by the workout and the resultant higher body temperature make taking a cold shower easier.
The cold shower, in turn, boosts your battered body’s recovery and restores the energy spent in the gym. And the cool, energetic freshness aids your meditation.
So, by the time you’re done meditating, you will be in a peak state — both mentally and physically.
And the best part? You will have plowed through the first 2 to 3 hours of your day, barely having used your phone — so, none of that brain drain and screentime.
Final Thoughts
This routine is literally like a Role-playing game where you max out all the stats — focus, alertness, energy, mood, and happiness to name a few.
And unlike most other morning routines, this one isn’t easy — it demands quite some discipline and effort. But again, the rewards are 1000x better than those “easy” 5-minute routines.
“In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results, and the strength of the effort is the measure of the result.” — James Allen
