My 30 Minute Morning Routine for Better Focus, Energy, and Clarity

In this episode, we're going to be talking about how to supercharge your brain first thing in the morning so that you could feel clear, you could feel focused and full of mental energy, like your brain is already one step ahead before you reach for that cup of coffee. Welcome back, Kwik Brains. I am your host and your brain and learning coach, Jim Kwik. Now, let me ask you something. How do you start your day? Because the first 30 minutes after you wake up, they are not just minutes. They are an opportunity for momentum. What you do in that window sets the tone for your brain's performance all day long. And so today I'm going to give you a handful of powerful, simple, let's call 'em neurohacks, things that you could start doing tomorrow morning that will make your brain sharper, Quicker and more energized. Now, before I start, everybody's a little bit different. You have to find out what works for you, 'cause ultimately whatever works for you is what is best, whatever you're gonna do consistently. So you could take these ideas, but understand the principle, and behind every principle there's a promise. So you can be flexible. You don't have to do exactly what I do, and mine varies often, right? I change things up 'cause I like to, to be creative about it and I like the novelty. But step 1, Reset your neurochemistry. Your brain is a natural chemical pharmacy, and every morning it starts handing out doses. One of the first chemicals it delivers for you in the morning is cortisol, which is often misunderstood. We're not gonna go through it in this entire episode, but it's just like, it's your natural alertness signal. The key is to align with that rhythm, not necessary to fight against it. So here's your first brain hack, your first neurohack. Hydrate immediately. Your brain is approximately 75% water. And after 6 to 8 hours of sleep, you begin to get dehydrated, right? You lose water through respiration, through perspiration. So before your coffee, before you email, before anything, hydrate your brain. You could drink a full glass of water. I like to add a little, maybe a pinch of Himalayan sea salt or electrolytes. Maybe squeeze a lemon in there. The salt helps to balance your electrolytes. All right, the lemon could aid in cellular function. You're recharging your brain's battery. Another thing to consider is we talked about water. I always talk about the elements. Think about fire. How do you get sunlight within the first 15 minutes? And this is really crucial. When the sunlight hits your eyes, not through a screen, not through sunglasses, not even through a window, because that could filter filter out some of the spectrum of light, it tells your brain to release serotonin. That could boost your mood, some of your motivation, help with mental clarity. Plus, it helps to reset your circadian rhythm, right? Helping you sleep better that night. And who doesn't want that? So it's really a double win. So if you can step outside, even for just a few minutes, even if it's hazy or foggy, you still get the benefits. Let your brain know it's Time to shine. A couple other things you could do while you're outside, you could get grounded. So you have some earth, your feet are actually touching the earth. Another thing that you could do is do some breathing exercises, right? So that's air. So you have water, you have fire, you have earth, and you have air. Second, now that your brain is rehydrated and you have your light and you're beginning to reset, let's think about how do you fuel it. And here's a powerful trio you could use. In the mornings on the days you choose to, you can make a brain-boosting drink. My go-to is green tea. It contains L-theanine, which is a compound that promotes calm alertness. So I don't feel like jittery. I'm a little bit sensitive to caffeine myself, but everyone's a little bio-individual. Has just enough caffeine. You could use matcha. Some people like matcha tea, enough caffeine for a gentle energy boost. And some people combine that with maybe a little bit of MCT oil. Mm-hmm. And now that you're fueling your brain with those ketones, we've done podcasts on this, clean burning brain energy. And this combo is like lightning. You're like lighting a fire without the crash. Another thing that you might want to start your day with is journaling. And that's something I've been doing for years. It helps to get my thoughts together. You could just do a few minutes of journaling. It could be simple as grabbing a notebook, And you could have it right by your nightstand if you like. The sequence doesn't matter so much, the syntax. You could grab a notebook and in just 3 minutes you could write something like a few things that you're grateful for, right? We know gratitude rewires your brain also as well. I think what you appreciate tends to appreciate in your life, if that makes sense. And this shifts your brain into more that state of appreciation, which could help you reduce stress, potentially help your learning journey. I also think about one goal for the day. Sometimes I'll think about 3 goals, like 3 personal goals and 3 professional goals. I do this visualization exercise where if I'm outside or in bed, I'll imagine myself coming back to bed and I'm having a conversation with a family member or on the phone and somebody asks like, how was your day? I imagine that and I say, wow, today was amazing. Then I ask myself what had to happen in order for me to feel that way. And then I work backwards from that. And that focus creates clarity. You have a target. When you define your day's mission or outcome, your brain will find ways to better achieve it. You could ask one question you're also curious about. I think curiosity is like, it's like a rocket ship. When you have that question, you're fueling your focus. It activates learning centers in your brain. It primes your mind to notice And look for answers. You activate that RAS, your reticular activating system, because primarily your brain is deleting stuff all day, and what you let in are the things that are important to you, which could come from those outcomes, right? Those goals you set, and also the questions that you're asking. So simple, powerful, only takes a few minutes.

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A third thing to think about is movement, right? Moving your body. You know, as your body moves, your brain grooves. For me, I just have to get in a number of pushups and pullups and some squats. You wanna release those, the BDNF. Brain-derived neurotrophic factors, which could support learning, memory, potentially neuroplasticity. So taking even just 5 minutes, it could be when your coffee or your tea is brewing. You could do something like 30 seconds of jumping jacks, right? Remember, what's good for your heart is going to be good generally for your head. There's more blood flow, and that means there's more oxygen flowing into your brain. You could do also 30 seconds of air squats. Keeping your legs engaged is so very important. In a world where we're always sitting, when you activate large muscle groups, it boosts your brain's activity and really help you to prime your physiology, and your physiology is going to affect your psychology. Something that I've included just more recently is 1 or 2 minutes where I alternate nostril breathing, right? There are different ways of doing it. For me, I breathe in through one nostril, so I will close the other one, and out the other. And potentially this might enhance or balance the left and right hemispheres of your brain. It could certainly calm your nervous system. And for me, it really helps me to sharpen my focus. And you can repeat this circuit. You could do those air squats, you could do those jumping jacks, the nasal, alternate nasal breathing, nostril breathing, if you will, for 2, maybe 3 or 4 rounds. And I would love in the comments, tell me, do you feel more alert? Do you feel more centered? Do you, does your brain feel more alive? So remember, first you create your habits, then your habits create you. Taking 15, 20, 30 minutes max to prime the most important control center, which is your brain, to be able to go to work, to be able to study, to be able to make better decisions, to be able to solve problems better. Start your morning. Deliberately, and you'll own the rest of your day. You know, you know that quote: If you want to win the day, you have to win that first hour, that first thirty minutes of the day. So remember that quote: If you want to win the day, you have to win the morning. Right? Those that first thirty minutes or hour of the day, and you definitely want to win your mind. If you enjoyed this session, definitely make sure we connect on social media everywhere. It's @JimQuickKwik. It's my real name. And if you love this episode, I just ask for a quick favor. Hit the subscribe button, because if you miss a video, you miss a lot. My goal here is to create a world of limitless learners, and I know your time is one of your most valuable assets, so I really want to pack it. When we talk about Kwik, it's about you accessing skills and abilities and insights so you're faster, you're smarter, and you're better in every way. So leave a comment. I speed read every single one, and let us know your biggest Aha. Until I see you in our next session, remember to be limitless.