You might have an idea of what you think an entrepreneur's morning routine looks like, but one woman has actually put Jeff Bezos' to the test and documented the results.
Medium writer Alexa V.S. thought she'd try out the Amazon founder's very 'chilled' routine which is sort of scientifically proven to work.
During an episode of the Lex Fridman Podcast in December 2023, the YouTuber asked the now 61-year-old what he gets up to in the mornings.
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His response was to 'putter', and abstain from screen time during the first hour after waking.
"I’m not as productive as you might think I am," he confessed. "First of all, I get up in the morning and I putter. I have a coffee... and just slowly move around.
"I move pretty slowly in the first couple of hours. I get up early, just naturally. And then, you know, I exercise most days."
"My puttering time is important to me," he added during a 2018 speech at the Economic Club of Washington.
Putting 'puttering' to the test, Alexa admitted that her morning routine had become dominated by immediate phone use, as is the case for most of us.
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From checking emails and watching YouTube, the habit left her feeling unfocused and unmotivated.
After adopting the one-hour rule, she replaced screen time with reading, exercise and meditation.
To overcome the urge to check Instagram, however, she charged her phone outside of the bedroom and replaced her phone alarm with an actual alarm clock, remember them?
She also jotted down her plans for the morning, the night before, which allowed a bit of a smoother transition.
What were the benefits of Jeff Bezos' 'one-hour rule'?
By the end of her 15 days, Alexa said she genuinely noticed several differences, such as better focus, improved mood, and a lot of productivity.
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"After almost a month of trying Bezos’ one hour, no-scrolling-in-the-morning rule, I can confidently say it works. However, it only started working for me when I adapted it to my reality and needs," she admitted.
"Trying to go all in and quit my phone cold turkey made me feel like I would never succeed.
"In other words, I would 100 percent recommend this challenge to anyone seeking to improve their mental health and productivity."
Alexa noted to 'please keep in mind' that you should 'be gentle with yourself' and feel free to start with a lesser time commitment.
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"Create a multi-step plan that helps you ease into the one-hour rule (even if you have to only commit to 15 minutes because that’s all you can realistically start with)," she added.
Puttering is scientifically proven to work
"If you scrolled on your phone in bed for an hour just one morning, the negative impacts would be minimal... But if it becomes a habit... this behaviour can take a toll," therapist Maris Loeffler told MailOnline, who gave the example of one neuroscience study which suggested that increased screen-time impacted our 'learning ability, memory function and mental health'.
Topics: Celebrity, Jeff Bezos, Mental Health, Health
Anish Vij