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The most successful people have morning routines that set them up for greatness. Data shows that the way you structure the start of your day can have significant effects on your energy, creativity and happiness. Arthur Brooks, a professor who teaches a class about managing happiness at Harvard and author of a happiness column for The Atlantic, has a set of practices that he can pick and choose from each morning to boost his mood for the rest of the day. "I have used all of my background in behavioral science, and everything I've learned about biology as well, to put together a morning protocol that is enhancing of my well-being," Brooks said on his podcast, "Office Hours with Arthur Brooks." Here is Brooks' morning routine, and what he says we can all do "to start your day in the best possible way." Arthur Brooks' 6-step morning routine To get a better understanding of himself, Brooks determined his baseline emotional state using a tool in psychology called the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). After taking the test, people are placed in one of four categories depending on how intensely they lean towards positive or negative emotions. Brooks would be considered a "mad scientist," who experiences high positive affect and high negative affect. "I feel things very intensely, and that's great on the positive side. But I need to manage the negative side," he said on the podcast. To avoid allowing the intensity of his negative emotions to affect his quality of life, Brooks has created this six-step morning routine: Wake up before dawn: Research shows that getting up before the sun rises can improve your creativity, focus and memory, he said. Brooks wakes up at 4:30 a.m. nearly every day, and has experienced positive effects on his mental health as a result. Engage in physical activity: "Fifteen minutes after I wake up, I'm in the gym," said Brooks who has a gym in his home. He exercises for an hour a day, seven days a week, and alternates between cardio and resistance training. Get metaphysical: Taking a page out of the Dalai Lama's book, Brooks practices his version of analytical meditation each morning, by attending Mass or praying a Catholic meditation in his car, "calibrating the work of the soul," he said. If you aren't religious or into meditation, you can gain similar benefits from journaling for 20 to 30 minutes, Brooks added. Delay coffee intake: "I love coffee for sure, but I don't drink it when I first wake up," he said. "As a matter of fact, I don't have my first cup of coffee until 7:30 in the morning." He finds that it prevents him from having a 3 p.m. slump later in the day. Eat a high-protein breakfast: Brooks eats between 175 and 200 grams of protein each day, so he gets about 60 grams of protein for breakfast by eating unflavored, non-fat Greek yogurt with whey protein, walnuts and berries. "It makes me feel great. It keeps me full all through the morning and fueled up," he said. Enter a flow state: Instead of using the energy that his morning routine gives him to check emails, take phone calls or read the paper, Brooks starts working right away. "When I do that, I can actually get two hours of super high-quality creative work," he said. "I'm in the flow for the rest of the day." Though Brooks encouraged listeners to try his morning protocol, he also suggested altering it to fit their personal experiences. "Experiment on yourself," he said. "This is the result of my experiments. You need the result of your experiments." Want to earn more and grow your money? Save 30% with this earnings-boosting bundle of our top courses. Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life, and request to join our exclusive community on LinkedIn to connect with experts and peers.
