You don't rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems. Your most critical system is the first 90 minutes of your day.
Most people begin their day on the defensive. When the alarm sounds, they reach for their phones and immediately start reacting to emails, news, texts and social media. They allow external stimuli to dictate their dopamine levels before even brushing their teeth.
To perform at your cognitive peak—whether coding, writing, or trading—you must reclaim your morning. Here’s a protocol, supported by neurobiology and popularized by experts like Andrew Huberman, for an optimal start.
1. Light Before Screens
This step is non-negotiable. Within 30 minutes of waking, you need sunlight hitting your retina—not from a lamp or phone screen, but from the sun.
The Science: Exposure to natural light triggers a beneficial cortisol pulse that regulates your circadian rhythm, signaling to your body that it is daytime. This helps improve your sleep quality 16 hours later.
The Protocol: Spend 5-10 minutes outside on a sunny day or 20 minutes on a cloudy day. Simply gaze at the sky (but avoid looking directly at the sun).
2. Delay the Caffeine
I understand the urge to have coffee right away, but it’s important to resist that temptation.
Upon waking, your body is clearing out adenosine, the "sleepy" molecule. Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, so if you drink coffee immediately, the adenosine remains and accumulates. When the caffeine wears off around 2 PM, all that adenosine hits you at once, leading to an afternoon crash.
The Protocol: Wait 90 minutes after waking before having your first cup of coffee. Start your day by hydrating with water and electrolytes.
3. The "Deep Work" Block
Your brain is most neuroplastic and focused in the morning. Don’t waste this time on emails or Slack.
Reserve your most cognitively demanding task for this window—the "Eat the Frog" method. If you write, do it now. If you code, tackle that bug now.
The Rule: Keep your phone in another room and set it to airplane mode. The mere presence of a smartphone can reduce cognitive capacity by approximately 10%, even if it’s turned off.
Sample Routine (The Nexairi Flow)
- 07:00 - Wake up. No phone.
- 07:05 - Glass of water + salt.
- 07:10 - Walk outside (sunlight).
- 07:30 - Cold shower (optional, but effective for dopamine).
- 08:30 - First coffee.
- 08:30 - Deep work session (90 mins).
