Morning Routines For High Performers
How you start your morning can make or break your entire day.
No matter the industry, high performers tend to share one thing, they start their mornings on purpose. Those first 60 minutes aren’t left to chance, because they know how much that time shapes their clarity, focus, mood, and momentum for the rest of the day.
Let’s break it down.
1. They Don’t Check Their Phone First Thing
Jumping into emails or social media puts your brain into a reactive state. The moment you open your inbox, scroll social media, or read news alerts; you hand over control of your mood, focus, and priorities to someone else’s agenda. Neuroscientists have found that this early exposure to notifications and information overload spikes cortisol (your stress hormone) before your feet even hit the floor. This can leave you feeling rushed, distracted, and mentally cluttered for hours.
Instead, top thinkers, like Mel Robins, protect their mornings from distractions to preserve mental energy.
Leave your phone outside the bedroom. Start the day with 10 quiet minutes before connecting with the outside world. This practice strengthens your ability to focus, improves mood regulation, and ensures you start the day respondingto your own goals instead of reacting to everyone else’s.
2. They Move Their Body (Even Just a Little)
Exercise in the morning isn’t just good for your body, it’s a direct investment in your brain.
Research from Harvard Medical School and the University of British Columbiahas shown that aerobic activity stimulates the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the growth and protection of brain cells. This boost in BDNF is linked to better memory recall, faster learning, and sharper problem-solving skills throughout the day.
On top of that, movement in the morning floods the brain with dopamine and endorphins (neurochemicals that improve mood, increase motivation, and enhance focus).
This means you’re not just “waking up your body,” you’re priming your mind to tackle high-priority tasks with more clarity and fewer distractions.
Even 10–20 minutes of light movement (like a brisk walk, yoga, or bodyweight exercises) can yield these benefits without requiring an intense sweat session. Morning movement doesn’t just make you feel good; it makes you think better, remember more, and perform at a higher level all day long.
3. They Prime Their Mind
Journaling, meditation, or simply setting an intention helps regulate stress and align focus for the day. They help quiet mental chatter, regulate stress, and create a sense of control before the day begins. Oprah Winfrey journals. Tim Ferriss meditates.
Research shows that journaling improves emotional regulation and enhances problem-solving abilities. Meditation improves learning, memory, and reduces reactivity throughout the day.
In just 5–10 minutes, these practices can shift your mental state from scattered to intentional, setting the tone for a calmer, more productive day.
Small Shifts, Big Results
Building a high-performance morning doesn’t mean you need to start waking up at 5 a.m., taking ice baths, and cramming in a workout, meditation, journaling, and a green juice before getting the kids to school. That’s not realistic for most of us, and it doesn’t have to be.
What really matters is consistency and intention. Pick one or two small changes that feel doable. Stick with it long enough to notice how it shifts your mood, focus, and energy.
Some mornings will flow. Others will feel messy. The point isn’t perfection, it’s creating a rhythm that supports you, even on the busy days. Over time, these little habits stack up into big results, and you might just find yourself looking forward to the quiet power of that first hour.
Here’s some additional content that may help you along your journey:
- Mel Robins – Do This Every Morning
- Atomic Habits by James Clear – Chapter on Habit Stacking
- My Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
