Tim Ferriss is a best-selling author, angel investor, entrepreneur, and podcast host. Throughout the last decade, Tim has interviewed hundreds of the most successful people in the world. We’re talking people at the top of their fields such as Jamie Foxx, Peter Thiel, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He’s learned their best practices, tried them himself, and then passed on his favorites to his audience.

One of his favorite questions to ask his guests is “What does your morning routine look like?”. After hearing hundreds of morning routines of the world’s most productive people, Tim has put together a bulletproof morning routine unlike any other.

Ferriss believes that morning routines should be strictly followed. Tim told Forbes that, “in the morning and elsewhere, the more constraints I can create where I fly on autopilot and get a result I need or enjoy, the more horsepower, the more calories I have to allocate to being creative, and to doing things where thinking should actually be applied.”

Tim Ferriss’ Morning Routine

Keep in mind that Ferriss only checks off all five routines 30 percent of the time. “But you can always knock off at least one,” he writes. “And if you tick off three, I find the likelihood of the day being a home run infinitely greater.”

Start Strong by Making Your Bed

“It’s hard for me to overstate how important this ritual has become,” Tim Ferriss writes, reflecting on the impact of making his bed every morning. Life is unpredictable, often throwing us curveballs we can’t control. Yet, by taking just a few minutes to make his bed, Tim gains a sense of order and mastery over his environment. “No matter how s—ty your day is … you can make your bed,” he explains. “And that gives you the feeling, at least it gives me the feeling, even in a disastrous day, that I’ve held on to the cliff ledge by a fingernail and I haven’t fallen. There is at least one thing I’ve controlled.”

This seemingly small habit isn’t just about tidiness—it’s about creating a foundation for resilience and discipline. The act of making your bed symbolizes starting the day with a win, no matter how small, and reinforces a mindset of accomplishment and control.

Naval Admiral William H. McRaven echoed this sentiment in his renowned 2014 commencement speech at UT-Austin. He said, “If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed.”

Both Ferriss and McRaven highlight the cascading effect of starting the day with a simple, deliberate action. It’s not about perfection but about setting a tone for the rest of your day. When life feels overwhelming, this small ritual can serve as a grounding force, reminding you that even amidst chaos, there are things within your control. So, make your bed—it’s more than just a chore; it’s a cornerstone of a productive, disciplined, and resilient mindset.

RELATED READING: Tim Ferriss Supplement List: The Complete Guide

Titanium Tea: Supercharge the Morning

Ferriss developed a morning cocktail that immediately wakes him up, which he refers to as “Titanium Tea”. He prefers this mixture over coffee, as it gives him clearer, longer-lasting energy.

To make Titanium Tea you will need the following ingredients:

• 2 Teaspoons of Pu-Erh Black Tea Leaves
• 1 Teaspoon Kabuse Sencha Green Tea Leaves
• 1 Tablespoon of Organic Coconut Oil or Quest MCT Oil Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Grass-Fed Butter
• A pinch of Turmeric and Ginger

To put it all together you will also need:

• Boiled water
• A high-quality tea steeper. I use this one.

To make this tea, Tim takes a flat teaspoon each of pu-erh aged black tea, green tea, and turmeric and ginger shavings, adds hot water, and lets it steep for one to two minutes. Then, in his mug, he’ll add one to two tablespoons of coconut oil or Quest MCT Oil Powder for a dose of medium-chain triglycerides, which some studies have shown to be linked to promoting fat burning.

It’s “excellent for cognition and fat loss,” Ferriss writes.

RELATED READING: Dr. David Sinclair’s Supplement List

Meditation: The Power of Mindfulness

The second activity in Tim’s success-boosting morning routine is meditation, which allows him to “get 30 to 50 percent more done that day with less stress.” While gathering material for his new book “Tribe of Mentors”, Ferriss found that over 90% of the people he interviewed all had some form of daily mindfulness practice – saying, “Despite the fact that these are people from tennis to surfing to cryptocurrency to fill-in-the-blank, like any field you can possibly imagine — some type of morning mindfulness or meditation practice would span I’d say 90% of the respondents.”

He spends 20 minutes every morning meditating, followed by a two-minute decompression period where he lets his mind do whatever it pleases. Tim practices Transcendental Meditation, Vipassana Meditation, or uses a guided meditation app such as Headspace.

There is an abundance of scientific evidence showing meditation has a tangible positive effect on the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for emotions, fight or flight responses, and memory. “So meditation, or mindfulness practice, it’s really about, to me, decreasing emotional reactivity so you can proactively create your day and create your life; versus, just being a walking reflex that sometimes screws up,” Ferriss said. Even legendary hedge fund investor Ray Dalio has said that Transcendental Meditation has been “the single biggest influence” on his life, and credits it to his success.

RELATED READING: Dr. Andrew Huberman’s Morning Routine

Light Exercise: Wake Up Your Mind & Body

This is “light” exercise for a reason—Tim Ferriss doesn’t dive into a full-blown workout first thing in the morning. Instead, he opts for five to ten reps of a simple exercise to gently wake up his mind and body. His go-to is push-ups, but the choice is entirely yours. You can try sit-ups, squats, burpees, or even jumping jacks—whatever feels natural and gets your body moving.

As Ferriss explains, “The 5 to 10 reps here are not a workout. They are intended to ‘state prime’ and wake me up. Getting into my body, even for 30 seconds, has a dramatic effect on my mood and quiets mental chatter.” This simple act of engaging your body has a profound impact, creating a bridge between groggy morning sluggishness and the mental clarity you need to seize the day.

The beauty of this approach lies in its simplicity and efficiency. There’s no need to change into gym clothes or commit to a lengthy session. In less than a minute, you can shift your physical and mental state, giving yourself a head start on feeling energized and focused.

For an added boost, Tim sometimes follows his light exercise with a 60-second cold shower. This brief but invigorating ritual can further amplify the benefits of waking up your body, leaving you refreshed and ready to tackle whatever comes next. If a cold shower feels too extreme, even splashing your face with cold water or standing in a cooler-than-usual shower for a few moments can provide similar benefits.

The takeaway? Light exercise isn’t about burning calories or building muscle—it’s about signaling to your brain and body that it’s time to transition from rest to action. By dedicating just 30 seconds to a few reps of movement, you’ll not only feel more awake but also lay the foundation for a positive and productive morning.

RELATED READING: Peter Attia’s Sleep Protocol

Clear Your Mind with Morning Pages

While sipping his tea, Ferriss will then take a seat at his kitchen table to begin journaling. This allows him to get thoughts from his head to paper, clearing his mind and relieving anxious thoughts before the day starts.

Tim uses the Five Minute Journal – writing down three things that he is grateful for and three things that would make the day great.

He also practices the more free-form “Morning Pages” method developed by Julia Cameron, author of “The Artist’s Way”. This method allows you five minutes to lay all your anxieties out on paper, so the thoughts are not distracting you during the day. There is great power to actually writing your problems down on paper. Ferriss wrote on his blog, “Morning pages don’t need to solve your problems. They simply need to get them out of your head, where they’ll otherwise bounce around all day like a bullet ricocheting inside your skull.”

RELATED READING: Dr. Rhonda Patrick’s Fish Oil Protocol & Brand

Creating Your Own Routine

Crafting your own morning routine is an opportunity to set the tone for your day and align it with your goals. Maybe you’re inspired to follow Tim Ferriss’s approach, or perhaps you want to personalize it to better fit your lifestyle. The beauty of a morning routine lies in its flexibility—there’s no one-size-fits-all formula.

Tim himself admits he rarely achieves all five of his morning habits every single day. In fact, he only checks off the full list about 30% of the time. His goal isn’t perfection but consistency, aiming to complete at least three out of the five habits. This highlights an essential truth: even small wins in the morning can create a ripple effect throughout your day. By tackling a portion of your routine, you set yourself up to feel accomplished and energized, which boosts productivity and happiness.

When creating your routine, consider starting with one or two practices that resonate most with you. Maybe it’s journaling to clear your mind, meditating for mental clarity, or moving your body to jumpstart your energy. Over time, you can build on these habits and refine them as you discover what works best. The key is to keep your routine simple and achievable—something that adds value to your day rather than feeling like another item on your to-do list.

Also, be kind to yourself. Life happens, and some mornings might not go as planned. That’s okay. A rigid routine can feel restrictive, so aim for progress, not perfection. Remember, the goal is to create a system that supports you, not something that weighs you down.

By designing a routine that feels authentic and attainable, you’ll be well on your way to owning your mornings, conquering your days, and, ultimately, becoming the productive powerhouse you aspire to be—just like Tim. Whether you adopt his methods or craft something entirely unique, the act of prioritizing your mornings is a game-changer. So go ahead, start small, and let your morning routine evolve into something that inspires and empowers you every single day.