Protect your morning peace (and feel hyper focused)
As soon as you wake up, there are dozens of distractions fighting for your attention.
Time-sensitive emails. Unread texts. Missed calls. Long to-do lists.
There’s an instant pressure to check your phone, tend to your morning hygiene, and get some food in your system.
Oh, and you need your morning coffee before even thinking about anything else.
But how do we set ourselves up for a peaceful day when the morning can often feel so rushed?
Let’s find out.
Delayed Distraction
To combat the stress of the morning, there’s a rule I’ve created for myself.
As simple as it sounds, it’s worked wonders for my mental health and clarity.
Rather than allowing outside sources to influence my internal peace – I simply delay any interaction with the world until later in the day.
Here’s the rule of thumb:
- Don’t check my phone (no texts, emails, calls, notifications)
- Don’t watch any news or updates
- Don’t set any expectations for the day
At the minimum, I wait to do all of these things until after breakfast.
But there’s a way to take this a step further and add rocket fuel to your focus.
To do that (and feel more productive than you ever thought possible):
- Don’t allow outside influence until after a 1-3 hour focused work block in the morning
This would mean delaying any emails, texts, news, etc. until around lunchtime.
Imagine having a solid 1-4 hours in the morning without any distractions to scatter your attention.
What more could you get done? How much more at peace would you feel?
Protect Your Peace
Even when a quick check of your phone can feel harmless, it’s amazing how many times I’ve told myself that – only to see a text or email that derails my entire train of thought.
If you’re anything like me, I tend to make mountains out of molehills. If something or someone is demanding my attention – even if it’s not a hurry – I tend to hurry anyway.
This makes checking my phone that much more dangerous in the early hours of my day.
Now – I understand this isn’t possible for some people. Your work might naturally revolve around emails, texts, and Slack channels that contribute to your working day.
And that’s okay. Even delaying outside influence until the actual start of your workday can be a superpower. Simply wait to check these things until you clock in for the day.
Eat your breakfast, catch a quick workout, go for a walk, or enjoy your coffee in peace.
You deserve that time without distraction. And regardless of what your boss might say – nothing is that urgent.
Takeaways For You
After traveling last week, writing this newsletter got delayed until today. And to be honest, it wouldn’t have happened without putting my phone (and other distractions) aside, opening a blank document, and typing away.
Make time for the things that matter to you. And a good place to start is by working them into your distraction-free mornings 🙂
Your mornings set the tone for your entire day.
Treat them well and you set yourself up for success.
Start them distractedly and you set yourself up for a scattered day.
Slow mornings precede peaceful days.
Just a reminder about two resources you might enjoy:
The Content Clarity Crash Course is a free 8-day course that helps you find mental clarity and discover your niche as a creative.
The Genius Journal is a collection of my entire creative workflow. The course includes 14+ lessons, Notion templates, and step-by-step walkthroughs of my journaling, writing, and idea generation process.
That’s all for today. Have a blessed week!
–Eric Pfohl
