Water before coffee
A full glass of water on waking, before the first cup of coffee
A full glass of water, often 16 ounces or so, drunk on waking and before any caffeine. The reasoning people give is that seven or eight hours without fluids leaves you mildly dehydrated, and that coffee on top of that grogginess masks it rather than fixing it. Filling the glass the night before and leaving it by the coffee maker is how most people make it automatic, and many pair it with pushing the first coffee back an hour or more.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Mel RobbinsDoes it
Author and podcaster · The Let Them Theory
A full cup of water is step four of her morning routine, ahead of any coffee. She says she used to army-crawl to the Nespresso machine, and that switching the order is the one change that stopped her chasing caffeine all day.
Source: The Mel Robbins Podcast: 1 Morning Trick to Boost Motivation Fast
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under energy or focus.
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Napping
Short early-afternoon naps: useful, but easy to get wrong
On record from 7 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 1 recommends it, 1 has discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Pre-workout music
Headphones on, a set playlist, and a fixed cue to switch into training mode
On record from 5 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Deliberate cold exposure
Cold showers or ice baths used deliberately, usually a few minutes at a time
On record from 25 of 62 tracked people: 19 do it, 6 have discussed it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Caffeine
The most-used performance drug in the world, timing-sensitive
On record from 14 of 62 tracked people: 10 do it, 1 recommends it, 3 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Morning sunlight exposure
Bright outdoor light soon after waking, 5-30 minutes and no sunglasses
On record from 10 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it, 3 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Hard thinking before lunch
Book the mentally demanding work for the morning and stop making big calls late in the day
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it
Habit entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.