The Morning Routine Killers (And What to Do Instead)
You’re 60 seconds into your day—
And you’ve already lost your edge.
Not because you’re lazy.
Not because you lack discipline.
But because your morning inputs are setting you up to fail.
At Jon Nardinochi Performance, we’ve coached hundreds of clients through high-performance routine redesigns. The patterns are clear. Certain behaviours consistently wreck energy, focus, and resilience before you’ve even left the house.
Let’s break down the most common morning routine killers—and the simple swaps that make all the difference.
☠️ Killer 1: Phone First Thing
The Problem:
You wake up and immediately grab your phone. You scroll. You react. You compare. Cortisol spikes. Your nervous system goes from 0 to 100 without any sense of control.
The Fix:
Keep your phone out of reach. Give yourself 15–30 screen-free minutes in the morning. Replace it with breath, movement, or one line of journaling. Your brain needs a buffer zone.
☠️ Killer 2: Coffee on an Empty Stomach
The Problem:
It’s common. It’s convenient. And it’s terrible for blood sugar, gut health, and long-term energy regulation—especially if you’re already stressed or under-slept.
The Fix:
Hydrate first.
If you’re sensitive, eat a little protein or fat before caffeine. And ideally, delay coffee by 60–90 minutes to let natural cortisol do its job first.
☠️ Killer 3: No Light Exposure
The Problem:
You’re trying to “wake up” in the dark. Your body’s still producing melatonin. Your energy curve is off. And you’ll feel the crash by mid-morning.
The Fix:
Get natural light exposure within 30 minutes of waking. If you can’t get outside, open blinds or use a 10,000 lux daylight lamp. It tells your brain the day has started—and resets your internal clock.
☠️ Killer 4: Random, Chaotic Movement
The Problem:
Jumping straight into high-intensity training with no prep or structure can trigger nervous system overload and poor recovery. Especially damaging if you’re already wired or inflamed.
The Fix:
Use a Movement Primer—mobility, breath, core control, or a dynamic flow. Even 5 minutes can switch your system from “stressed” to “ready.”
☠️ Killer 5: Overcomplicating It
The Problem:
You try to do everything. Gratitude journaling, breathwork, sun salutations, vision boards, macro counting… and burn out by Thursday.
The Fix:
Keep it simple. Build a Minimum Viable Morning Routine—something you can complete on your worst day. Then layer up when you’ve got capacity.
✅ Build a Fail-Safe Flow
Here’s what we teach clients:
Your morning needs a “default mode” you can rely on when motivation is low, sleep was poor, or life hits hard.
Example:
Hydrate with salt + lemon
5 minutes of movement (mobility or walk)
One intention or journal prompt
Light exposure
Delay phone until after breakfast
That’s it. 10 minutes. But it changes the trajectory of your day.
Want to test a 5-minute version?
👇 Download our Optimise Morning Flow (video + PDF):
[Get the Free Demo]
Or join the next Optimise Morning Reset Challenge:
[Apply or Book In]
