Episode Notes 🗒️
A morning routine usually means habits stacked for productivity. What follows is a different sort of list. These are seven things I have run in the first hour of the day, chosen because they set your judgement before the world gets a vote. You do not need to have read any Stoic philosophy to try them.
One thing worth saying at the outset. Some of this is Stoic in spirit rather than ancient in form. The Stoics tell us what to train far more often than how to train it, so a good deal of any modern Stoic routine, mine included, is reconstruction built on a genuine ancient warrant. Where a practice has a real anchor in the texts I have named it. Where it does not, I have said so.
1. Reflect on a Stoic Quote: Start the Day with Wisdom
Example: Marcus Aurelius wrote in his Meditations:
In the morning when thou risest unwillingly, let this thought be present,—I am rising to the work of a human being. Why then am I dissatisfied if I am going to do the things for which I exist and for which I was brought into the world?
Meditations 5.1, trans. George Long (1862).
Long's Victorian English is stiff, and I use a modern translation when I read this aloud. I have quoted his because it is the public domain text and I can point you straight to it. The argument is the useful part. You are not getting up to be productive. You are getting up to do the work of a human being.
How to Implement:
- Choose a selection of Stoic quotes that resonate with you.
- Keep them easily accessible, either digitally or in a notebook by your bed.
- Read and reflect on one each morning, allowing it to guide your mindset as you start the day.
2. Journaling Practice: Begin with Reflection and Intention
Gratitude with Depth: Instead of a typical gratitude list, go deeper. Contemplate how things could have gone wrong but didn’t. Think of a near miss, or a difficult situation that turned out well. That is a sharper instrument than listing things you like.
Anticipate Obstacles: Think about what is likely to go wrong today, and decide now how you mean to answer it. This one has the firmest ancient anchor on the list. Marcus opens Book 2 of the Meditations with it: “Begin the morning by saying to thyself, I shall meet with the busy-body, the ungrateful, arrogant, deceitful, envious, unsocial” (Meditations 2.1, trans. George Long). The point is not pessimism. It is removing the element of surprise, because most of the sting in a rude person comes from expecting better.
Set an Intention: Choose one thing to focus on for the day. It could be as simple as staying calm during stressful moments, or giving a specific task your full attention. Be aware that this step is a modern addition rather than an instruction from Marcus. It is well attested in contemporary Stoic practice and I find it useful, but you will not find it in the ancient text.
How to Implement:
- Dedicate 5-10 minutes each morning to this practice.
- Use a structured journal or simply write on a blank page.
- Divide your journal into three sections: Gratitude, Anticipated Obstacles, and Daily Intention.
3. Meditation: Cultivate Presence and Awareness
Sitting and following your breath is not a Stoic practice, and I would rather say so than dress it up. Donald Robertson, who has done more than most to connect Stoicism with modern therapy, states plainly that there is no explicit reference to meditation techniques of this kind in the surviving literature. I include it because it makes everything else on this list easier to do, not because Marcus did it.
How to Implement:
- Choose a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed.
- Focus on your breath or use a simple guided meditation app.
- Gradually increase your meditation time as you become more comfortable with the practice.
Tip: Make meditation obvious and accessible. Keep a meditation cushion or chair in a dedicated spot and make it part of your morning environment.
4. Reading Stoic Texts: Fortify Your Mind
Example: Seneca advised in his letters, “Each day acquire something that will fortify you against poverty, against death, indeed against other misfortunes as well.” (Moral Letters 2.4, trans. Richard Mott Gummere.)
That line comes from a letter about reading badly. Seneca's complaint in Letter 2 is that we skim many authors and digest none of them. “Everywhere means nowhere,” he says a couple of sections earlier. So the instruction is not to get through more pages before breakfast. It is to take one thing and chew it.
How to Implement:
- Keep a Stoic book on your bedside table.
- Read a short passage each morning and reflect on its meaning.
- Write down any thoughts or ideas that arise during your reading.
5. Cold Exposure: Embrace Discomfort
The cold shower is modern. The warrant behind it is not. Musonius Rufus lists training ourselves to cold, heat, thirst, hunger, meagre rations and hard beds among the disciplines that work on body and soul together (Lectures 6.4). What he did not have was a shower, so treat the specific protocol as a reconstruction rather than an instruction.
One caution, and I mean it. Cold exposure is not safe for everyone. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, a circulatory problem, or you are pregnant, speak to your GP before starting. Never do cold water outdoors on your own.
How to Implement:
- Start with a short cold shower, even just 30 seconds, and gradually increase the time.
- Use this time to practise mindfulness, focusing on your breath and observing your thoughts and sensations without reacting to them.
- Imagine that you have no access to warm water and that this is your only option. Use this as an opportunity to cultivate gratitude for modern comforts.
6. Death Meditation: A Sobering Reminder
Memento Mori Explained
Memento Mori, or death meditation, involves reflecting on the inevitability of death to remind oneself of life's preciousness. It serves as a way to overcome fear of death, focus on what truly matters, and live with urgency and purpose.
If this one produces distress rather than perspective, stop doing it. That is not a failure of nerve, it is the correct response to a tool that is not working for you. Talk to someone you trust, or to your GP. Memento mori is a way of noticing what matters. It is not a treatment for anything.
How to Implement:
- While brushing your teeth or looking in the mirror, think about the generations before you who lived their lives and are now gone.
- Remind yourself that death is certain, but the time of death is uncertain.
- Use this practice to motivate yourself to live fully and to let go of trivial concerns.
7. Dressing with Intention: Aligning Your Outer and Inner Self
How to Implement:
- Before selecting your outfit, ask yourself: “If I were the only person on Earth, would I still wear this?”
- Choose clothing that aligns with your values and makes you feel comfortable and authentic.
Making Your Morning Routine Stick: Tips for Success
- Start Small: Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to implement everything at once. Begin with one or two practices and gradually add more as they become habits.
- Be Consistent: Try to stick to your routine every day, even on weekends. The mornings you do not feel like it are the ones where the routine is actually doing something.
- Reflect and Adjust: Periodically review your routine. What’s working? What feels forced? Adjust your practices as needed to keep them relevant and meaningful.
Listen to the Full Podcast Episode
The full episode walks through each of these in more detail.
Pick one and run it for a fortnight. If it does nothing for you, drop it and try another. That is the only test that counts.