Welcome to the first installment of Rise + Thrive, a multi-part series about how to wake up early and build strong morning rituals for daily success. View every installment here.
My morning ritual is everything to me. I think of it as a “pregame ritual” for my daily life. And when I’m at my best, it’s usually because I’ve been diligent about consistently taking action on the habits and disciplines I’ve included in my morning ritual.
I get asked about my morning ritual pretty often, so today I’ll be breaking it down for you in full. Just keep one thing in mind before we dive in: this is my current morning ritual—I switch it up occasionally based on my needs. That said, let’s get into the details of what my morning ritual looks like.
Table of Contents
The four core components of my morning ritual
First, no matter what activities I include in these early hours of the day, and no matter what sequence I do them in, there are four core components of my morning ritual that never change:
- The physical component. I maintain my health, fitness, and energy with a morning workout routine.
- The mental component. I feed my mind by reading or learning something new.
- The emotional component. I address my emotional needs by checking in with myself and connecting with people I love and care about.
- The spiritual component. I nourish my soul by reserving a slice of time for spiritual reflection.
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Doing at least one thing in each of the aforementioned categories every morning helps me stay focused and fulfilled throughout the rest of my day.
As I mentioned, I don’t include anything in my morning ritual that doesn’t address one or more of my core needs physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually… So, as you go through each portion of my ritual below, you’ll notice I’ve labeled each activity.
These labels indicate which of the “four core categories” each activity of my ritual falls under:
| PQ | Physical |
| IQ | Mental |
| EQ | Emotional |
| SQ | Spiritual |
For example, “Reading” would have the “IQ” label, which represents our mental need for learning and intelligence. See the table above for more.
Now, let’s dive into the specific habits I’ve incorporated into my morning ritual…
1. Rise and hydrate.
Core morning ritual category: PQ
I usually wake up at 5:00 am. Immediately upon rising, I reach over to my nightstand, grab my pill case, and take my morning vitamins with a full liter of water.
For those of you who want the details…
- Why so much water? Because sleeping for eight hours dehydrates your body. Most folks are under-energized because they’re underhydrated. Drink more water and you’ll experience a noticeable shift in your energy each morning.
- Yes, I use one of those pill cases you usually see old folks carrying around (here’s what it looks like) – It’s got seven compartments, one for each day of the week. And it’s insanely useful if you’re a health nut and want to avoid scrambling around with different bottles each morning. Every Sunday, I spend a few minutes refilling my case with an assortment of my daily vitamins and supplements. This way, it’s ready to go each morning.
2. Get grateful.
Core morning ritual categories: EQ, SQ
As I sit on the edge of my bed, finishing my water, I take a moment to thank my Creator for giving me the gift of another day.
This gives me an opportunity to start my day with gratitude.
“Rise with the sun and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Be in awe of life. Be in a perpetual state of gratitude.” — Dean Bokhari
3. Green juice and tea.
Core morning ritual category: PQ
By 5:30, I’m in the kitchen, brewing a cup of strong black tea.
While I wait for the tea to brew, I have a glass of green juice (which I juice and bottle by hand every Sunday—one for each day of the week.)
“What irritates me most of all about these morning people is their horribly good temper, as if they have been up for three hours and already conquered France.” — Timur Vermes
4. Morning workout.
Core morning ritual category: PQ
Next, I workout for 60-90 minutes.
Sometimes longer.
This is the lengthiest part of my morning ritual, but the benefits are worth it.
I disagree with taking “off days” from the gym, so I literally exercise every single day.
I lift weights four days a week and do cardio three days a week.
COVID helped me realize I didn’t need a gym membership. In 2020, during the height of the pandemic—California went HARD on the lockdowns. And that included gyms… So, I canceled my Equinox membership and brought the gym to my backyard.
I went out and bought everything I usually use at the gym: kettlebells, dumbbells, a barbell with Olympic bumper plates (for my beloved deadlifts), a power cage (for squats, pull-ups, bench press, etc), dumbbells, and a bunch of other fun stuff.
All of this has enabled me to start working out from home – and I haven’t looked back since.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Working From Home
5. Morning meditation ritual.
Core morning ritual categories: PQ, SQ, EQ
After my workout, I shift into morning mindfulness mode by taking a 15-20 minute walk in nature. This is the heart of my morning ritual and has a sequence of its own:
- It starts with a few minutes of breath-work to fill my body with oxygen,
- followed by a brief gratitude exercise during which I envision the faces of each member of my family, one by one like a carousel, thinking of one thing I’m grateful for about each person.
- After that, I think about and become intensely grateful for a handful of things in my own life. Especially things I’d likely take for granted if I didn’t remind myself of them occasionally. Things like clean drinking water, a house to live in, or my health. It’s easy to feel grateful when you get promoted or buy a new car—but when was the last time you paused and thought, “I’m so grateful for having two eyes to see with”?
- I finish by spending the final few minutes envisioning either: my day, my week, my month, or the year—exactly as I’d like it to be. (FYI: things rarely turn out exactly as I envision them, but this habit helps me flow through the day confidently. It also makes it easier to take action on my plans.)
6. Read.
Core morning ritual category: IQ
Next up, I feed my mind by spending at least 30 minutes reading or learning about something interesting. This keeps me mentally sharp.
As of this writing, I’ve been reading an 800-page behemoth of a book called Reality Transurfing by Vadim Zeland… If you’re one of those folks who’s already read all the self-help books and want something deeper, this one’s for you. Although I haven’t finished it yet, it’ll most likely end up being one of my top 10 self-development books.
“When I’m tempted to skip my morning routine or another form of self-care, I remind myself that I can better serve the people I love and the projects I care about when I start with me.” — Courtney Carver
7. Journal.
Core morning ritual categories: IQ, EQ
Next, I spend a few minutes journaling.
During this phase of my morning ritual, I like to rewrite my goals, write down ideas, contemplate solutions to pressing problems, or brain-dump everything on my mind.
Related: 6 Journaling Ideas for Self-Improvement + Self-Discovery
8. Prepare for the day ahead.
Core morning ritual category: IQ
Once the bulk of my morning ritual is complete, I start prepping for the day ahead.
I start by scanning my plans and making adjustments if necessary.
Here’s what it looks like:
- Scan my weekly goals
- Look at my calendar for any upcoming appointments or meetings
- Update and adjust my time-blocks for today if necessary
This usually takes me less than five minutes, because I conduct a weekly review every Monday, during which I plan out my entire week.
9. Connect.
Core morning ritual category: EQ
And finally, before I begin my workday, I take a moment to connect with the people I love.
Most of the time, I’ll spend a few minutes chatting with my wife and playing with the kids.
Other times, I’ll call my mom, brother, or dad just to catch up for a bit.
And sometimes, I’ll spend a few minutes texting a friend I haven’t connected with in awhile.
15-20 minutes a day of genuine connection with the people I love not only feels great to do but also serves as a reminder to whomever I’m connecting with that they are important to me.
During this short, final phase of my morning ritual, I’m fully present and not looking at my phone.
If I’m playing with my son Rumi, I’m there.
If I’m watching my daughter Nora as she enthusiastically shows me how she can do 20 cartwheels in a row, I’m there.
If I’m listening to my wife Amna share her struggles with homeschooling Nora, I’m there.
“The day will be what you make it, so rise, like the sun, and burn.” — William C. Hannan
Scheduled Recap of My Morning Ritual
Here’s a time-blocked recap of my current morning ritual.
- 5:00am: Wake up and start my morning ritual. Hydration and gratitude.
- 5:30am-5:45am: Tea time and green juice.
- 6:00am-7:30am: Workout.
- 7:30am-8:00am: Nature walk / morning meditation ritual.
- 8:00am-8:40am: Read and journal.
- 8:45am-8:55am: Plan the day.
- 9:00am: Connect with family prior to beginning workday.
More from the Rise + Thrive series
- Dean Bokhari’s Morning Ritual
- A Motivating Morning Ritual for Productivity
- The 4 Components of a Healthy Morning Routine
- How to Wake Up Early and Work Out—An 8 Step Guide
- A Morning Ritual for Working Moms
- 11 Tips to Wake Up Early + Become a Morning Person
Master the Morning
Get step-by-step guidance on how to wake up early and build a personalized morning ritual that suits your lifestyle with Master the Morning, a research-backed training program by Dean Bokhari.
