I suck at rituals.
I love the idea of having one and marvel at all the successful people who navigate their mornings like an air traffic controller, making sure all flights land and get off on time.
Take Andrew Huberman. The neuroscientist-podcaster-wellness influencer swears by his 10-step morning routine, which includes:
Wake up around 6 am
Get exposure to natural sunlight
Hydrate
Meditate
Stretch
Exercise
Eat a healthy breakfast
Take a cold plunge
Journal
Set and review goals
This sounds so invigorating in theory, but every time I try to follow a structured daily regimen like this, something gets in the way—I need to answer an urgent email, one of my kids texts to say they left their gym sneakers at home, a quick glance at a cute cat photo on Instagram leads to a mindless, 20-minute scroll session.
Still, I crave the structure. Creative people with ADHD need structure. When I’m running around doing lots of different things in no particular order, my brain is working really hard. But when those same things become a regular routine, I let my brain chill a little so there’s more energy left to do the business of creating.
That’s why I’m delighted to share a recently discovered morning ritual that has improved my mental health. I don’t know exactly how and why it works, but I do know that after I do it, my mind feels clearer, and I generally have happier, more productive days.
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