Happiness Expert Shares 6-Step Morning Routine That Improves Mood and Productivity

Starting your morning on the right foot can pave the way for a successful day.

A new wellness trend focuses on the “5 to 9 before 9 to 5,” which involves a healthy regimen between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. before going to work.

Behavioral scientist and happiness expert Arthur Brooks, a professor at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School in Boston, has demonstrated these benefits through his six-step morning protocol for living more positively.

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In a one-on-one interview with News Digital, Brooks broke down each of the six steps that set him up for a productive day and that he says have “dramatically improved” his life.

“You need to be disciplined and structure your day, and it turns out that what you do first thing in the morning really matters a lot,” he said. “I follow [this] almost every day.”

1. Wake up before dawn (4:30 am)

Brooks said that for years he was not a morning person, as he was a musician in his 20s who never woke up before dawn and considered himself a “night owl.”

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“The truth of the matter is that you can change your chronotype,” he said. “You can be more of a morning lark. It’s actually not that genetic, and it’s a really worthwhile effort to try to change that.”

“If you get up before dawn, you have won the day, but not only morally: you have won neuroscientifically.”

According to the host of the “Office Hours” podcast, research suggests that waking up before dawn promotes better concentration, creativity and mood. This has its roots in an “ancient idea of ​​Indian wisdom” called Brahma Muhurta, which means “time of the creator” in Sanskrit.

“But it’s not just about religion. There’s really a lot of science behind it,” Brooks said. “I get up at 4:30 a.m., it works for me; it works with my schedule. You have to figure out what yours is. But if you get up when the sun is already hot, you’re already behind the eight ball.”

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Brooks noted that he uses an actual alarm clock to wake up, as he keeps his phone out of the bedroom at night to avoid overexposure.

2. Move your body (4:45 am-5:45 am)

Brooks starts his day by working out in his home gym and stresses the importance of getting a “real workout” first thing in the morning.

Armed with an electrolyte drink, you typically do 75% resistance training and 15% Zone 2 cardio (steady-state aerobic exercise that’s easy to moderate) for an hour.

There are a variety of ways to exercise, from resistance to yoga, Brooks noted. “If the first thing you do when you wake up is lift heavy things and run, you’ll have a much better day,” he added.

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For those just starting out with a fitness and early-waking routine, Brooks recommends light exercises, such as walking.

3. Get metaphysical (6:30 am)

After showering, Brooks leaves the house to attend a Catholic mass at 6:30 am.

While not everyone is Catholic, or even religious, Brooks recommends engaging in some type of “transcendent activity” that connects body and soul.

“You need to do something to not focus on yourself,” he said. “Worship is great for that. Meditation is good for that. There are a lot of different ways to go about this, but the goal is to walk away and get little.”

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“When I’m traveling, which is about half the time, I stay in places where there is morning mass, if possible, so I focus on my soul as much as my body.”

4. Coffee (7:15 am)

Most people who wake up before 5 a.m. will be inclined to immediately hit the coffee machine, but Brooks discouraged this urge to drink caffeine first thing in the morning.

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Caffeine blocks a chemical in the brain called adenosine, which invades the brain at night and makes you groggy in the morning. As a result, drinking it makes you feel more alert.

But Brooks said this is “not the best use” of coffee, as he recommends exercising in the morning to help eliminate any remaining adenosine.

When coffee is introduced into the system, about an hour or two after waking up, the brain is no longer adenosine and the caffeine can focus on providing energy to the body.

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“You won’t wake up with caffeine, you’ll focus with caffeine,” he said. “It will draw dopamine into your prefrontal cortex and you will be more creative, you will be more stimulated to come up with new ideas and that means you are preparing for a brilliant day at work.”

5. Eat a protein-rich breakfast (7:30 am)

According to Brooks, protein is “critically important” to get the most out of your morning workout, build strong muscles, and shape a balanced diet.

For breakfast, she prefers nonfat Greek yogurt, topped with nuts for micronutrients, mixed berries for antioxidants, whey protein, and sometimes stevia for sweetness.

“I get 60 grams of protein for less than 400 calories. And man, I’m ready to go,” he said. “With that caffeine and that food, I’m ready to work.”

These “clean protein” breakfast options also contain tryptophan, the chemical best known for its presence in turkey that can cause drowsiness. In smaller doses, tryptophan can improve mood and calm the nervous system, Brooks noted.

6. Enter a flow state (8:00 am)

Between 8:00 a.m. and noon, Brooks said he gets a full four hours of productivity and creativity, “with a level of focus that I had never been able to achieve before in my life before establishing this morning protocol.”

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Enter and stay in a “state of flow” during your morning work, without being interrupted by social media or phone notifications.

“I can do more in four hours than I used to do in two days. And I’m happier when I do it,” Brooks said.

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When you have another protein-rich meal for lunch, you will have completed your essential tasks and can take on other goals in the latter part of the day.

“It’s really important that you don’t ruin that period of attention and concentration by ruining it with your devices,” Brooks added. “Stay clean. Stay focused. Stay creative. And stay happy.”