Why Morning Routines Are Overrated

Here's the real "morning routine" nobody tells you about:

1. Eat a reasonable dinner, no caffeine or alcohol
2. Stop looking at screens around 9PM
3. Get into bed by 10PM
4. Relax, meditate, do some light reading
5. Wake up early feeling fucking great and ready to go

This short vid is from this week's celebratory episode of the podcast, where I rapid fire through some of the most interesting questions sent in by you guys.

You can find the full episode on my channel.

[JustaNobody-jx]

My morning routine always consists of me hitting the snooze button at least 10 times.

[tiberseptim]

True, sleep hygiene is incredibly underrated. Wish i could find things that makes me excited for the next day to come..

[amirulahmed]

He is correct.. whenever I get a good sleep, I feel better in the morning.

[richardbrito]

Agreed!! Your day starts with the night before.

[utualan]

😮agree the night before AND a very simple morning routine that embraces exercise, showering, nutrition and 'grounding.'

[zehzinho]

I like these cuts! I was listening to the podcast yesterday and wishing I could bookmark some answers

[SohiniBrahmbhatt]

I like to do some journaling and reflect on the day as it helps me see y progress and also plan for the next day.

[creativedoof]

My night-time routine sucks because being a coffee chugger and a laptop zombie, doesn't help me to embrace a new day. In other words, I usually crash later at night / morning.

Thanks for the moment of clarity, Mark!

[BirdFlier]

I think this is the best and simplest advice about "morning routines". But I also struggle with it, my computer and phone are too addictive, resulting in late nights and hard mornings often!

[JaneDeuberInter]

Thank you for this!!! I am productive, successful, and sometimes I do my morning routine and sometimes I just dive in. Seriously… thank you for affirming that following my mood and internal compass is actually the best way to honor my day. ❤

[jxyza]

If you take super care of your night time, your morning time takes care of itself

[Sniped]

My morning routine starts off by me taking a shit then getting out of bed, then some breakfast

[kaiabishop]

Thanks! I needed this. I was just thinking about how I want to really get into the “morning life” and believe I would have put way too much pressure on myself had I not been reminded what it’s all about.

[ekokusumo]

I agree with this. I think the best routine is being relax and enjoy the time. It is the best routine ever

[zealbell]

I been saying this, A routine to me is a tool used to structure your day and there are somethings you put in your routine and somethings you don’t…
Ex making my bed or brushing my teeth will not be written down as a routine
That’s something you naturally just do
Instead I write down task I should do for the morning such as sending an email, running errands etc….
There are certain things that shouldn’t be looked at as a task like cleaning your house, cleaning your body, making the bed
Japanese people look at these things a scared acts…

I only agree that if a person is struggling with habits that will improve their life
Then you should write down everything you need to do in your morning routine until you develop the habits you want
after that established activities that you enjoy doing and keep them separate from task that you create as a routine…

[diegopechi]

@IAmMarkManson, I have a few questions about your view on morning routines being overrated:

1. How does immediate screen time impact dopamine and brain function in the morning?
2. What about the benefits of morning sunlight for energy and setting our internal clocks?
3. Can bad morning habits, like excessive screen time, hurt productivity and energy, even with exciting work?
4. How do you see good habits like exercise or sunlight exposure affecting performance and happiness?
5. How do morning habits influence nighttime routines and sleep quality?

Thanks for your insights!

[adriaellen]

Nailed it! 🎉💯 .. I do this too. Otherwise, my morning sucks.

[alijack]

Mark's usually on point but I don't fully agree - my morning routine bullet proofs me from whatever comes my way: yoga / gym/ sauna supercharges me. I can deal with anything after that. However his point that if you have a major *hit sandwich to deal with ( like a terrible job) and you are not addressing that, then the morning routine doesn't fix that - so fix that first, then add a morning routine that lights you up to make your days even better.

[t_n_rasberry]

I realize that as long as I learn something every day by watching YouTube video like yours and others is what makes me wake up in the morning.

[bz]

I definitely agree nighttime routine is where the value is at.