Why not getting out of bed is the most productive thing you can do.

Let's stop this ice bath nonsense

"Renaissance oil painting of a person in bed, solving the mysteries of the universe’, Dall-E2

Meditate. Journal. Cold Shower. Visualisation. Ice Bath. Yoga. Walk. Run. Fast. Breathwork. Workout.

We’ve reached peak morning routine. I can’t scroll through Twitter or YouTube without being served content about how some tech bro is stacking together half a dozen positive habits to develop the ‘optimal morning protocol’.

Obviously, I’m one of the worst offenders, I’ve done my fair share in contributing to the circle jerk of morning routines. Hell, I made a whole video on my optimal morning. Hell, this whole fucking article is about how to optimise your morning.

As a type A, driven person (as you likely are if you subscribe to this newsletter) I’ve tried pretty much every trend going. I’ve equilibrium-ised my circadian rhythm with Andrew Hubermans light protocol. I’ve oxygenated my red-bloods cells to the verge of lysis with Wim Hof breathing. I’ve limbered up by acetabulofemoral joints for an intense period of deep work with Yoga with Adrienne. I’ve expunged my Ajna chakra of all self-limiting thoughts through contemplative meditation.

None of these protocols are bad. I still practise many of them daily, I just think they hail in insignificance compared to my new favourite thing to do every morning. Lying in bed for an extended period of time, doing sweet fuck all.

Before we dive into the why, let’s explore one of the core problems with the morning routine movement.

It’s output all the way down.

1911 changed the game for how we think about productivity. Frederick Winslow Taylor published “The Principles of Scientific Management”. Taylor posited that work tasks could be optimised by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable components. Workers could then be trained to perform these tasks in the most efficient way possible.

While the theory was designed for factory workers, its effects were more wide-reaching. Managers and ‘knowledge workers’ started to view their days as packets of work to be completed. A race to check off as many items as possible. There is a lot of controversy about whether the principles of scientific management even work. Taylor was employed as a consultant for many of the largest organisations at the time, such as Bethlehem Steel ‘the backbone of America’, here he failed to deliver the efficiency gains his methods promised. A consultant not delivering anything of value. Imagine.

In this world, the majority of us are not being paid for our output. We’re getting paid for the quality of our decision. As AI, software tools, and computing power become even more abundant it’s hard to see this changing. No, if you wanted to ensure your necessity in the working world, you’d rather be a creative, than an output powerhouse. You’d be Jobs, not Taylor.

But morning routines have become the adult equivalent of a school timetable. Meditate for 10 minutes. Journal for 15. A quick 5-minute cold shower, followed by 10 minutes of visualisation. It's all very regimented, very scientific, very... Taylor-esque.

We're so busy optimising our mornings for productivity, we've forgotten about creativity.

Doing nothing

Ever noticed how you always have your most creative thoughts in the shower? Why is that? I have a theory. I think we live in a world where our brain is constantly doing something, in a way that is unprecedented in history.

We live in a society where boredom has died. I remember being a kid and being constantly bored. My parents wouldn’t allow video games, iPhones didn’t exist, I didn’t love reading at this point. I remember coming home from school and feeling genuinely pull-my-hair-out bored. Today, I can’t remember the last time I was bored.

If I’m waiting for the tube, I’ve got my AirPods in, my favourite business podcast seeping into my eardrums (‘Founders’ btw - if you don’t listen, it will change your life). If I’m on a 4-hour train journey to the south of England to visit family, I’m working on my laptop. Even when I take a shit I’m scrolling through Twitter. Vulgar, but we all do it.

Showers are probably one of the only times when we literally can’t do anything else –our mind finally has a chance to breathe. It can process all the unresolved problems we have and bubble up solutions to the surface. It’s like the opening of the pressure relief valve in a distillation unit.

Ok, Tom, enough of the analogies, work management theories, and nonsense metaphors, let’s get to the meat of your point.

Well, here it is, for the last few weeks, I’ve simply been not getting out of bed when I wake up. I might lie in bed for half an hour, my eye mask still on, just thinking.

This was not a conscious choice. As someone who has been well and truly brainwashed by the ideology of the protestant work ethic, lying in bed before a workday came with stout feelings of guilt. No, this habit was forced upon me by a combination of early summer sunrises, poorly engineered Venetian blinds, and fear of stirring my other half from her one true solace in life. Circumstances glued me to my bed, eyemask on for a number of days.

But over these days of forced bed containment. I started to notice a quite profound change in how I think. I wrote this article in my head over a couple of mornings. I have had a number of breakthrough ideas for my company over the last week. I’ve even replayed and cemented my knowledge of new jiu-Jitsu sequences (back take into rear naked choke), all from the comfort of my own bed.

Is there more to say? I think so. First, let’s dive into a few pointers for how to make the most of this habit.

1. You’ll obviously need a routine that permits you to lie, guilt-free in bed for up to half an hour, I often find it takes 10 minutes for my mind to wake up. I’m lucky in that I have my own company. The 4HLers among you may have to make some adjustments if you need to be sat at a desk in the CBD by 9am

2. Don’t wake up with an alarm. This is just a golden rule full stop. Alarms are the most barbaric invention of our time. Even the word is triggering. We’ve been hardwired for thousands of years to interpret this as a threat. If you’re using an alarm you’re starting each day in flight or fright mode.

3. Ban any external stimulation. If you use a phone during this holy period, you’re completely missing the point.

4. I like to wear a sleep mask. I don’t always sleep in it but I find something about not even having visual stimulation to be very good for creative thoughts.

Some of you might be thinking, can’t I just take 30 minutes at some random point in the day and get the same benefits? I don’t think so. Primarily because I’ve tried it and either a) it’s exceedingly difficult to find 30 minutes to myself when the day is in swing or b) if I do find the time I just don’t seem to be able to get in that creative mode. But let’s back these claims with some science.

The science behind lying in

I used to love science. Party, I still do. But I now subscribe to Taleb/Popper school of thought that scientific theory always follows empiricism. Science is simply good at explaining what we already know (quantum physics aside). In other words, you don’t need to lecture a bird on how to fly. Having said that many people, myself included, like stuff to have been validated by science to improve conviction. So here are a few supporting arguments, I may or may not have help from ChatGPT on this.

The Hypnagogic State

When you first wake up, your brain is not immediately at full speed. Instead, it gradually transitions from a sleepy, semi-dreaming state into wakefulness. This transitional period, known as the hypnagogic state, is a period of relaxed, free-flowing thoughts that can lend itself to creativity.

During the hypnagogic state, your brain waves are primarily in the alpha and theta frequencies. These frequencies are associated with relaxation, creativity, and a reduction in critical thinking. A 2018 study published in the journal PLOS ONE found that people were more likely to solve a problem creatively when their brains were emitting alpha waves compared to when they were in a more alert state.

The Default Mode Network

Another reason for your morning creativity boost might be the activation of your brain's Default Mode Network (DMN). The DMN, discovered in the early 2000s, becomes active when you're not focused on the outside world – when your mind is wandering, daydreaming, or reflecting. This state, often associated with creative thinking and problem-solving, is typically accessible shortly after waking up or right before falling asleep.

In a 2010 study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers found that the DMN was more active when subjects were engaged in tasks requiring creative thinking.

The Neurochemical Cocktail

Your brain's neurochemical state is different when you wake up. During the early morning hours, levels of cortisol, dopamine, and serotonin — hormones associated with alertness, motivation, and happiness — are all on the rise. At the same time, the levels of adenosine, a neurochemical associated with sleep and relaxation, are decreasing.

A 2007 study published in the Journal of Biological Rhythms found that our cortisol levels are highest upon waking up, and then gradually decline throughout the day. The combination of these neurochemical shifts might create a perfect cocktail for creativity and problem-solving right after waking up.

tl;dr: in the morning your hormones, pathways and even biology are different. It’s a unique time to think creatively.

Some of the greats had lazy mornings as well

After my realisation, I was interested to find out if anyone else shared my passion for my loafing mornings. It turns out I’m in good company

Winston Churchill: Maybe not a man who is flavour of the month right now, but you can’t deny his brilliance. Churchill’s day typically began at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast in bed, where he read several newspapers (don’t read the news though). He dictated letters to his secretaries, and sometimes even took meetings. These "bed days," as he called them, were integral to his creative process.

Mark Twain: This literary god was known to stay in bed until noon, writing during the early hours of the day. His most celebrated works, like "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," were likely crafted during these early morning writing sessions.

Edith Wharton: The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Age of Innocence" found her bed the ideal place for writing. She would stay in bed until 11 a.m., writing on a portable desk and dropping completed pages onto the floor for her maid to pick up later.

Voltaire: The renowned French philosopher was said to have written many of his philosophical treatises from the comfort of his bed, often staying there until midday. His prolific output suggests that these late mornings were not wasted time, but rather a critical part of his creative process.

So, there you have it. If you’re waking up at the crack of dawn to cram in a cavalcade of supposedly performance-enhancing rituals, you might want to rethink your strategy. Maybe the key to unlocking that next level of productivity isn't in doing more, but doing less. If it was good enough for Churchill, Twain, Wharton, and Voltaire, there's probably something to it. Turns out, some of the best insights might just happen while you're lying down. Here's to waking up to the power of chilling in bed.

WAGMI,

Tom x