Master your morning routine

Learn how to make the most of your mornings by following the exact steps of successful people

Practice on Flow Club
An image of a web browser with videos of people and a to-do listAn image of a web browser with videos of people and a to-do list

Morning routines used by those who have thought a lot about morning routines

We saved you another Google search, here are some of the Internet’s most effective morning routines:
1. Miracle Mornings

Popularized by author Hal Elrod, Miracle Morning is the perfect balance between simplicity and depth.

There are six activities that the author suggests you do before 8AM each morning:
  • Silence (meditation, breathing exercises, etc)
  • Affirmations (writing them down, reading them aloud)
  • Visualization (visualize living your ideal day for 5ish minutes)
  • Exercise (walking, yoga, strength-training, etc)
  • Reading (~10 pages of a book you enjoy)
  • Scribe (journaling, morning pages, gratitudes, etc)
Each activity can be customized to fit your unique goals and time limit.
Start this routine
2. Tim Ferriss's Morning Routine

Tim Ferriss, the author of productivity books including the 4-Hour Work Week, has conducted interviews to curate a morning routine that works well for many people. If you're a Tim Ferriss fan or big on productivity hacks, then this routine could be a good fit for you.
  • Make your bed
  • Meditate
  • Do 5-10 reps of something
  • Prepare “titanium tea”
  • Reading (~10 pages of a book you enjoy)
  • Morning pages or 5-minute journal
Start this routine
3. Arianna Huffington's Morning Routine

Arianna Huffington, former news mogul turned advocate of burnout prevention, shares her own personal morning routine with others. She is big on managing your digital device addiction, so if you share this interest, take a look at her morning routine.
  • Wake up naturally
  • Do not check phone first thing in the morning
  • Meditate or write down dream
  • Have “bulletproof” coffee (it's coffee with butter mixed into it)
  • Exercise for 30 mins
  • Stretch
Start this routine
4. Andrew Huberman’s Morning Routine

This is the most time-consuming of the four that we recommend. Dr. Andrew Huberman has studied the science of human performance and recommends these steps based on studies. If you are someone that is motivated by intensity and challenging goals, this routine could be for you.
  • Wake up early
  • Get exposure to natural light
  • Hydrate
  • Meditate
  • Stretch
  • Exercise
  • Fuel
  • Cold exposure
  • Journal
  • Set and review daily goals
Start this routine
There you have it, the top 4 morning routines. Now let’s make it work for you.
Did you know you could jumpstart your morning routine by joining a group? We call it Flow Club.
The morning routine has often been sold as THE way to start your day. But if you’ve ever tried and failed to stick to one, you know how hard it is to build as a habit.
The benefits are endless - increased clarity, focus, energy, creativity, productivity, overall well-being - and yet so many of us struggle to act on them. But it’s not because you’re lazy!

3 Reasons why you're unable to maintain your morning routine

The routine isn't right for your life right now

Some morning routines are made popular by books and influencers. Tim Ferriss, Arianna Huffington, and Andrew Huberman are thought leaders with large followings who are known for their multi-step morning routines, but that doesn’t mean they’re right for you.

As a unique human being with a variety of priorities and obligations, it might work better to take a pre-set morning routine and customize it to fit your needs. Whether it’s by shrinking the duration or replacing one action item with another – take what works and leave the rest!
It’s too complicated

Have you ever written out the perfect morning routine for yourself only for it to crumble when you actually wake up to do it? When we're feeling really motivated, we get ambitious and tell ourselves that we are going to achieve big goals. But, when we wake up in the morning, we often don't have as much will power as we did when we committed to the routine.

The best way to make a goal achievable is to make it small enough for it to be possible for you to do, repeatedly. Simplify your routine to set yourself up for success by not getting stuck on what it “should” look like.
You’re on your own

Humans are social animals and often motivated by expectations from other people. But when it comes to morning routines, most of the time you’re on your own. Which means it’s really easy to give up on practicing your routines when it gets even a little bit inconvenient to follow through.

Try buddying up with someone to practice your morning routine together and hold each other accountable!
Now that you know what may be holding you back, you can overcome these obstacles to build a morning routine that truly works for you.

Let's take a look at some routines that have worked for many people which  you can customize to make your own!
Build a morning routine and change your life, one day at a time.

Steps to activate your morning routine

Let's get started!
Pick a routine

Which one of the four has inspired you the most?
• Miracle Morning
• Dr. Andrew Huberman's
• Tim Ferriss's
• Arianna Huffington's
Try it once

Copy/paste the routine and try it as soon as you can. If possible, put time on your calendar to make sure that your other tasks aren't pulling you away. Remember, your morning sets the tone for your whole day.
Team up with people

One of the obstacles of sticking to a morning routine is that you’re only accountable to yourself, and it’s easy to push it off when seemingly more important things come up. You can find an accountability buddy, or try something like Flow Club – a video-based co-working service where you can join a session of other committed people to do what you said you were going to do.

Sign up for a time slot that fits your morning routine schedule, show up to the session online, and share with a small group how you’re going to start your day. At the end, celebrate setting your day up how you wanted to!
Customize your morning routine

After trying out your routine once, reflect on how it went. Do you want it to be shorter or longer? Did you feel high-energy the rest of the day? What would make the routine more enjoyable? Reflect, change the items in the list, and then do it all over again.
Now let's get started!
Jumpstart your day with a routine that works.
In case you haven't heard yet, Flow Club is a place online where people get their work done together.

Our Members

1,200+

Hosts

🧠

Supporting
Neurodivergence

94%

Report feeling supported in their productivity journey

Julie A.

University Professor
Friendly accountability and body doubling turned out to be the two key things I needed to effectively manage my ADHD. Flow Club provides both of those.

Ximena V.

Graduate student
Just having someone "next" to me doing their own thing is enough for me to focus. How body-doubling works is a mystery to me, but I've achieved more in the few months I've been with Flow Club than I have in years.

Bianca W.

Financial Analyst
As a chronic procrastinator who gets overwhelmed easily, I LOVE Flow Club. It’s the only thing that will have me not only start on tasks, but finish them.

Alex S.

Poet and Writer
Flow Club somehow brings the same support into my apartment as would a trusted friend — while simultaneously giving me the freedom to interact as much or as little as I am up to on a given day. Magic!

Rana K.

Designer
Before joining, I felt lost and alone in my struggles. But through Flow Club, I have been able to connect with a community of people who understand my experiences and provide valuable support and resources.

Lesly Q.

Writer, Learner, and Side Hustler
As someone with ADHD, I work best when I’m around noise and people. Flow Club provides me with the feeling of social stimulation while I work.

Erin R.

Freelance Writer
Sessions help me stay focused and productive by providing accountability, shared energy, and support.

Anonymous Member

Flow Club gave me a self esteem boost that showed I wasn't a time-wasting space cadet with my head in the clouds.

Janel K.

Business Development
I like that the interpersonal interactions are low-stakes and minimal - you don't have to talk or be on camera if you don't want to be.

Bethani L.

Customer Educator, Tech
My fellow Flow Clubbers keep me accountable to my goals, and they also encourage me to take breaks and practice self-care. There are so many other ADHDers in Flow Club, and I feel like I've really found my people. I've haven't met anyone from Flow Club IRL, but we still laugh, cry, work, and celebrate together. It's just a magical, supportive place.

Samantha G.

Founder
Flow Club has been amazing for my ADHD. The body doubling concept really does work.
Show More

How Flow Club Works

Debrief & Celebrate

Your session host will check in with you and bring the positive vibes. Not everyone hits their goals, but everyone made progress. We celebrate that.

Start doing

When the timer begins, the host will play focus-inducing music while everyone begins the muted, deep work  segment. The music is optional, but doing your best to knock out the task at hand is not.

Share your goals

The simple act of sharing what you're going to do with someone else sets up external accountability and increases the likelihood that you'll get it done.

Show up

Willpower is overrated. Instead, draft off the energy of other people who also care deeply about their work.

Book a session

Research shows that you are more likely to achieve your goals when you pre-commit to it.

We built Flow Club to help you harness your ADHD superpower

The best ADHD app and productivity tool for adults based on a survey of 152 members
96%
97%

Feel more in control of their ADHD

Experience less overwhelm

89%

Find it easier to start difficult tasks

"I came for the productivity.
What I found was a community."

Our members

On Flow Club, we are professional, supportive, and without judgement.

Our structure

Session agendas keep the session organized.
See everyone else's tasks.
With visibility of the timer and one another, people find that they can magically get much of their work done.

For people at companies of 1 to 100,000

Easiest Way To Manage Your ADHD

Flow Club is among the top ADHD apps for adults, combining scientifically proven methods shown to help with ADHD management and boost productivity, so you can spend less time managing, and more time doing what you love.
The primary concept is called body doubling. What is body doubling?
Get Focused - Free

Body Doubling

Co-action & positive social pressure increase task adherence & motivation

Distractability Delay

Distraction-free zones to delay impulsive attention shifts, sustaining your focus

Music Stimulation

Binaural, lofi, or more—the right arousal levels for peak functioning

Activity Scheduling

Structured time blocking improves task initiation & override decision fatigue

Dopaminergic Design

Motivating environment triggers dopamine release, boosting task engagement

Pomodoro Technique

Interval work combats time blindness & prevent misdirected hyperfocus

Supportive Community

Social belonging activates intrinsic motivation, reinforcing goal commitment

We're Sure You Have Questions

What actually happens in a Flow Club session?

At the start of a session, the host welcomes everyone and asks each person “what are you working on?” You say your goals out loud (or type it into chat) — usually a sentence or two. Then a timer starts and everyone works quietly alongside each other. When the timer ends, the host brings everyone back and asks each person, “how did it go?” You share your progress and tell each other good job for showing up.

How long are sessions?

30 minutes to 3 hours. The most popular is a 60 minutes focus block.

How many people are in a session?

Up to 9. Just big enough where you're not on the spot, but small enough that you're not completely invisible.

Who are the hosts?

Hosts are volunteers from the community. They are your peers who work alongside you, not coaches or instructors paid to supervise or advise you. Hosts create the sessions, offer a sense of accountable structure, and keep things running smoothly.  

You can become a host too after 10 sessions. You'll love hosting because it makes you even more productive to lead by example. You'll also feel great creating the space to support others.

How should I prepare?

Take a moment to think about what you need to do (anything goes — from drafting an important memo to reviewing your expenses to tidying up your room), and then identify the smallest first step you can take. Book a Flow Club to set aside time to work on it, and join the session from your computer with the intention of getting it done.

What if I'm late or need to leave early?

Just send a message to the chat if you're late to share what you're working on with the host. If you have to leave early, tell the chat how the session went for you before you go.

We recommend joining on-time because participating in the ritual of declaring your goals along with the group makes it more likely for you to accomplish your goals and have a successful session. Most people tend to stay and work for the entire time. Staying until the end and celebrating with everyone is an extra boost of dopamine that can give you a pep in your step for the rest of your day.

How much talking is required?

Not much at all because we are gathering to get stuff done. We briefly share our goals and progress with each other to stay accountable, that’s all.

If you prefer to not talk at all, there are non-verbal, chat-only options you can join.

Do I have to keep video on?

As much as you can. Of course, if you need to turn off the camera, that’s okay. It's important we try to keep the video on to create a sense of energetic presence for each other while we work. Seeing other people working from the corner of your eye, and knowing that your presence on camera offers the same signal to others, is key to creating the productive magic of Flow Club. The idea is called body doubling and it's one of the most effective ways to promote focus and reduce distraction.

It's normal to feel a bit anxious about it. The video boxes are small, and just like at a productive coffee shop, no one is really looking at you because everyone is focusing on themselves. To keep things safe, we definitely enforce our community guidelines.

Is Flow Club good for people with ADHD?

Yes. Flow Club is a very useful for managing ADHD.

In a recent membership survey, 62% of 245 respondents identify as living with ADHD, compared to the estimated 6% of US adults living with ADHD.

Among the Flow Club members living with ADHD:
- 96% say they feel more in control of their ADHD
- 89% experience less overwhelm
- 97% find it easier to start difficult tasks

Body doubling — working quietly alongside someone else, like we do in Flow Club — is a strategy the ADHD community has used and recommended for decades. Learn more about body doubling and how it helps with ADHD.

How do you know this works?

We've organized over 1,000,000 coworking and body doubling sessions since 2021. On top of that, we asked our members. In our most recent survey of 265 members, 98% reported improvement in their professional or academic work, 91% said it was easier to meet personal obligations, and 97% said it became easier to start difficult tasks. You can also check out our Wall of Love.

Underneath all that, the design of Flow Club isn't complicated. You book a time, which turns a vague intention into an appointment. You say your goal out loud, which makes it real to someone other than you. Then you work in the quiet company of other people doing the same. Each of those has a research literature behind it. We've written about the evidence in detail →

How much is Flow Club?

Flow Club is $40 a month or $400 for the year (save $80). We have 50% discounts for students and non-profits, and 50% discount for hosting a qualified number of sessions.

Can I get my company to pay for Flow Club?

Yes. Flow Club qualifies as a business expense supporting productivity and as an ADHD workplace accommodation. It can also be part of the co-working or wellness stipend. Here’s a resource page on how to ask.

Do you offer discounts to students and non-profits?

Yes, we support full-time students and non-profit workers with a 50% discount. Learn more.

I'm already productive working solo. Will this help me?

Maybe, maybe not. Members are often surprised by how much more they get done in Flow Club and how it helps them take on tasks they've been avoiding. It’s the difference between working out by yourself and going to a workout class. You can rely solely on willpower or see if a different experience can make things easier.  

How is it possible that strangers keep me accountable?

To be clear, it’s you who is keeping yourself accountable! There’s just no way around that. 🙂

But, it’s also clear that we are social animals. Many people work better when they are in the presence of others. The host in the room asks each participant to share their goals out loud. The act of sharing and being visible to others creates enough energy for our members to get started and to follow through.

For scientific research underpinning Flow Club's experience design, see the Science of Body Doubling

What is Flow State?

Flow, as defined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a Professor of Psychology at Claremont Graduate University, is “a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter.” This heightened state of focus and productivity often distorts our perception of time, diminishes anxiety and ego, and fosters a sense of effortless action. It's similar to what we frequently describe as being "in the zone," characterized by a deep sense of immersion and peak performance.

This concept of "flow" was first introduced to the broader scientific community by Csikszentmihalyi in 1990 through his seminal work, "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience". In this publication, he articulated the essence of being in flow and its significant benefits. Not only does it boost productivity, but it also increases life satisfaction and promotes better mental wellbeing. The study of flow began with Csikszentmihalyi's quest to identify the elements that lead to a life worth living, which you can hear about in his TED Talk: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the Secret to Happiness.

As modern knowledge workers, we rarely get to experience flow state. Even more elusive is the sense of progression and mastery of your work. When was the last time you felt accomplished? Do you feel like you are better than you were a month ago? The pursuit of flow state reminds us to asks these questions about the work we do everyday, and Flow Club is where we gather to do it.

How do I get in the flow?

While flow is a highly personal and subjective experience, researchers have identified conditions that can facilitate this positive state of being:

Challenge-Skill Balance: Choose activities that are just challenging enough for your skill level. Progress to bigger challenges as your skills expand. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi provides two insightful graphs to help visualize where you should aim to be.

Flow Channel

Clear, Attainable Goals: Have a clear understanding of what you need to accomplish. If your tasks seem too vague, refine them until they become more specific. If your tasks seem overwhelming, break them down into manageable pieces.
Unambiguous Feedback: You should know how well you’re doing as you’re doing it. Even with extensive and protracted tasks, set smaller milestones to help you gauge progress along the way.
Time-based Goals: When breaking down tasks or clarifying them proves difficult, use time-based goals rather than outcome-based goals. For example, if you're facing a major task, such as writing a lengthy report without a clear plan, set a goal like "write for 30 minutes." Make focusing for a specific period of time the goal itself.
Follow Your Energy Level: Pay attention to how your energy fluctuates throughout the day. Take advantage of the peak energy times to enhance your chances of achieving flow.
Designate Time: Schedule time to be in flow to block it out for yourself. Commit and let your brain prepare to fully immerse itself when the time arrives.
Eliminate Distraction: Before you start, eliminate any potential distractions. Place your phone out of reach and out of sight, close your room door, set your chat program to "Do Not Disturb,” etc.
Bring Intention: Bring a heightened level of intention and determination. This could be as simple as taking a deep breath, focusing your gaze, or performing a brief ritual that helps you transition into a more concentrated state.
Bring Personal Triggers: Recognize and leverage personal triggers that help you enter the zone. These could be a cup of coffee, a specific playlist, or a notebook open to a particular page.
Be In a Flow-Inducing Environment (eg Flow Club): Flow Club is a virtual environment designed to facilitate flow state that you can access any time, from anywhere. Some key features of an optimal flow-inducing environment include:
- Encouraging risk-taking through peer accountability
- Activating reward pathways to stimulate dopamine release
- Offering soundtracks conducive to work
- Inspiring awe and motivation
- Providing a comfortable and supportive atmosphere

What are the benefits of Flow Club?

Based on what we've heard from our members, the specific benefits you will experience include but are not limited to:

• Sharpened focus
• Minimized distractions
• Manage symptoms of ADHD
• Heightened intentionality and awareness of your work
• Motivation on demand
• More time for deep work, side pursuits, and life
• Increased confidence through a sense of agency
• Clearer delineation between work and rest
• More restorative rest
• Inspired company of peers and hosts
• Lower stress and anxiety
• Feel less lonely working from home
• More creativity

We hate BS too, and some of these things inevitably sound like BS. Best we can do now is to show you some testimonials, but you should stay skeptical and try it out for yourself.

See our Wall of Love.

Join the Club

Try Flow Club now for free.
Get Focused - Free

Why Flow Club?

Hit your goals

Sometimes you need that extra boost to start (or finish) a project. By speaking your goal in front of others, you are much more likely to do what you intend.

Get in the flow

The formula for flow state is motivation, skill, and positive feedback. We've created our sessions to deliver these elements so you can feel productive and happy.

Turn it off

The better you work, the better you rest. Our hope is that our sessions help you focus and accomplish more, so you can rest and focus on the other things in your life that matter.