June 16, 2025 • 8 mins
Perfect Morning Routines Are Ruining Your Life
For maxed-out brains who hit snooze 6 times and feel broken by those perfect 5 AM routines on Instagram.
When your brain is already running on fumes, those 17-step morning routines aren't helpful - they're cognitive torture.
What actually works:
- Pick ONE anchor habit (coffee + brain dump, take vitamins, get dressed)
- Use this AI prompt: "I'm feeling tired/scattered this morning. Give me 2-3 tiny things that won't overwhelm my maxed-out brain."
That's it. No perfect routine required.
Try the AI prompt tomorrow morning and notice how different your brain feels when it's supported instead of overwhelmed.
Next episode: How to stop Apple Intelligence from ping-spamming your already fried brain.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
Have you ever scrolled past one of thoseperfect morning routines on Instagram and
thought, what the hell is wrong with me?
I can't even remember.
Take my vitamins every day.
Seriously.
You know the ones I'm talking about?
It's like, wake up at 5:00AM meditate for 20 minutes.
Gratitude journal, 45 minuteworkout, green smoothie.
(00:23):
Read for 30 minutes.
Well, I'm over here hitting snoozeabout six times and feeling like, ah,
complete failure before I'm even awake.
If you're like me, what you'refeeling is the clash between glossy
productivity culture and how realmaxed out brains actually were.
(00:43):
Those perfect routines weren'tdesigned for you and me.
Today, we're gonna fix that.
I'm Claire VE, the host.
This is Human First ai, the podcastwhere we tackle real everyday
problems with practical AI tools anda human heart behind every solution.
(01:09):
This all started when I wassurrounded by every single book on
my bookshelf for the 5:00 AM Club,the Miracle Morning Atomic Habits.
It's a great book, but alsofeeling kind of like a.
Failure because you know, Robin Sharmapromised that if I just woke up at
5:00 AM and followed his 2020 formula,my entire life would transform.
(01:33):
I bought this book, I boughtthat book, I bought every book.
But here's what I realize.
All these books are written bypeople whose brains aren't maxed out.
They can lock into routines.
They don't really get it whenyour brain is already maxed out.
Asking it to execute this sevenstep morning routine is like asking
someone running a marathon tojuggle fire and have a broken leg.
(01:58):
The truth is, this isn'ta morning routine problem.
It's a cognitive bandwidth problem.
When your brain is in overload mode, everysingle decision drains your energy tank.
What to wear, what to eat,which meditation app to use.
Those aren't just choicesfor an overloaded brain.
They're energy suckers.
And if you're already running onfumes from work, stress, parenting
(02:21):
anxiety, asking your brain to alsonail 17 perfect morning steps,
that ain't motivation you need.
Basic math, you literally don'thave the cognitive bandwidth,
so stop beating yourself up.
Whether you've been diagnosed with a DDor simply, your brain just feels fried.
The experience is completely the same.
(02:44):
You're not broken.
The system is, that's why I am so excitedto start my day using ai Chachi BT as
my morning thinking partner insteadof trying to follow some girl's rigid
routine that just doesn't work for me.
So if you're like me instead of thisoverwhelming list of things that you feel
(03:06):
that you have to do perfectly, I just nowcheck in with how I actually am feeling
that day and get suggestions that workwith my overloaded brain, not against it.
I call this the morning reset protocol.
So it's not about ultimateperfection, it's about giving
your overwhelmed brain exactly thesupport it needs to start the day.
(03:28):
Not feeling like total garbage.
If your mornings feel impossible, here'sexactly what works for overloaded brains.
Step one, forget that ridiculous,perfect routine for you.
You have permission right nowto stop trying to be someone
your brain isn't designed to be.
Those Instagram routines aren't for themaxed out brains and for sustainability.
(03:52):
So pick one, just one.
We call an anchor habit, not17 one minus coffee, plus a two
minute brain dump of my day.
That's it.
Your anchor might be takingvitamins or stretching or
just getting some clothes on.
One thing that Signals dayhas started making your bed.
(04:16):
That was one for me for a long time.
Step three, use.
If this AI prompt or something like itbe creative, insert, I am feeling blank,
so you can put scattered, exhausted,anxious, overwhelmed this morning.
Help me pick two to three small habitsthat would set me up for a decent
(04:40):
day without overwhelming my brain.
Two to three things you're gonna do.
That's it.
Let AI suggest suggestion on.
Based on your actualenergy level that day.
Sometimes it suggests five jumping jacks.
Sometimes it's suggest staying inpajamas and just organizing your desk.
(05:00):
Both are valid when yourbrains need support.
The key is working with your cognitivebrain limits, not demanding you to
perform consistent miracles beforeyou've had your cup of coffee.
Now, this doesn't justwork for your morning.
This approach works anywherein the productivity culture
(05:24):
that is overloading your brain.
Evening routines with12 steps, same problem.
Meal prep systems that required to plan17 ingredients, cognitive overload,
time blocking systems where you'resupposed to know exactly what you're
doing every 15 minutes not happening.
If your brain feels like it'son fire, that's not helpful.
That's torture.
(05:46):
The whole productivity industryacts like everyone's brain works the
same, but some of us are managinganxiety, A DHD, depression, trauma,
sleep deprivation, or just theregular chaos of being a human being.
We don't need more optimization.
We do need a little bit more compassion.
If you're listening to this today,drive into work, beating yourself
(06:09):
up about maybe your morning.
Hear me out.
You're not lazy, you're not undisciplined.
You're not failing at being an adult.
Your brain just needs a little bit ofsupport systems, and you don't need to be
seeing the perfect routines on Instagramthat aren't really actually perfect.
Maybe you're burnt out.
Maybe you just need permission to do less.
(06:32):
Maybe you're just overwhelmed andneed someone to tell you that.
Three jumping jacks to start yourday as movement is all that you need.
Your overloaded brain deservestools that actually work.
Not more reasons to feellike garbage but yourself.
So here's your tiny challenge fortoday or maybe tomorrow morning.
Don't try and fix everything, even thoughyou want to just pick one thing that would
(06:55):
make your morning feel 10% less chaotic.
It works.
And remember.
It could be something as simpleas putting your vitamins be beside
your phone charger, or maybe it'ssetting clothes out the night before.
Maybe it's giving yourself permissionto have coffee in bed for 10 minutes
before the world demands your attention.
(07:15):
Whatever your situation is,allow it to work for you.
The goal isn't to become a morning person.
The goal is to stop fighting yourbrain and start supporting it.
As much as we think AI is magic, it's not,and it can't give you cognitive bandwidth,
but it can be this gentle thinking partnerthat helps you work with your overloaded
(07:39):
brain reality instead of against it.
Your brains max out in trying to survive.
So.
Thank you so much for being here.
Tell me what your big oneanchoring moment was today.
Thanks for listening to Human First ai.
I'm Claire Bouvier.
Let's keep creating tech thatsupports real beautifully imperfect,
overloaded, awesome brains in humans.
Have you ever scrolled past one of thoseperfect morning routines on Instagram and
thought, what the hell is wrong with me?
I can't even remember.
Take my vitamins every day.
Seriously.
You know the ones I'm talking about?
It's like, wake up at 5:00AM meditate for 20 minutes.
Gratitude journal, 45 minuteworkout, green smoothie.
(00:23):
Read for 30 minutes.
Well, I'm over here hitting snoozeabout six times and feeling like, ah,
complete failure before I'm even awake.
If you're like me, what you'refeeling is the clash between glossy
productivity culture and how realmaxed out brains actually were.
(00:43):
Those perfect routines weren'tdesigned for you and me.
Today, we're gonna fix that.
I'm Claire VE, the host.
This is Human First ai, the podcastwhere we tackle real everyday
problems with practical AI tools anda human heart behind every solution.
(01:09):
This all started when I wassurrounded by every single book on
my bookshelf for the 5:00 AM Club,the Miracle Morning Atomic Habits.
It's a great book, but alsofeeling kind of like a.
Failure because you know, Robin Sharmapromised that if I just woke up at
5:00 AM and followed his 2020 formula,my entire life would transform.
(01:33):
I bought this book, I boughtthat book, I bought every book.
But here's what I realize.
All these books are written bypeople whose brains aren't maxed out.
They can lock into routines.
They don't really get it whenyour brain is already maxed out.
Asking it to execute this sevenstep morning routine is like asking
someone running a marathon tojuggle fire and have a broken leg.
(01:58):
The truth is, this isn'ta morning routine problem.
It's a cognitive bandwidth problem.
When your brain is in overload mode, everysingle decision drains your energy tank.
What to wear, what to eat,which meditation app to use.
Those aren't just choicesfor an overloaded brain.
They're energy suckers.
And if you're already running onfumes from work, stress, parenting
(02:21):
anxiety, asking your brain to alsonail 17 perfect morning steps,
that ain't motivation you need.
Basic math, you literally don'thave the cognitive bandwidth,
so stop beating yourself up.
Whether you've been diagnosed with a DDor simply, your brain just feels fried.
The experience is completely the same.
(02:44):
You're not broken.
The system is, that's why I am so excitedto start my day using ai Chachi BT as
my morning thinking partner insteadof trying to follow some girl's rigid
routine that just doesn't work for me.
So if you're like me instead of thisoverwhelming list of things that you feel
(03:06):
that you have to do perfectly, I just nowcheck in with how I actually am feeling
that day and get suggestions that workwith my overloaded brain, not against it.
I call this the morning reset protocol.
So it's not about ultimateperfection, it's about giving
your overwhelmed brain exactly thesupport it needs to start the day.
(03:28):
Not feeling like total garbage.
If your mornings feel impossible, here'sexactly what works for overloaded brains.
Step one, forget that ridiculous,perfect routine for you.
You have permission right nowto stop trying to be someone
your brain isn't designed to be.
Those Instagram routines aren't for themaxed out brains and for sustainability.
(03:52):
So pick one, just one.
We call an anchor habit, not17 one minus coffee, plus a two
minute brain dump of my day.
That's it.
Your anchor might be takingvitamins or stretching or
just getting some clothes on.
One thing that Signals dayhas started making your bed.
(04:16):
That was one for me for a long time.
Step three, use.
If this AI prompt or something like itbe creative, insert, I am feeling blank,
so you can put scattered, exhausted,anxious, overwhelmed this morning.
Help me pick two to three small habitsthat would set me up for a decent
(04:40):
day without overwhelming my brain.
Two to three things you're gonna do.
That's it.
Let AI suggest suggestion on.
Based on your actualenergy level that day.
Sometimes it suggests five jumping jacks.
Sometimes it's suggest staying inpajamas and just organizing your desk.
(05:00):
Both are valid when yourbrains need support.
The key is working with your cognitivebrain limits, not demanding you to
perform consistent miracles beforeyou've had your cup of coffee.
Now, this doesn't justwork for your morning.
This approach works anywherein the productivity culture
(05:24):
that is overloading your brain.
Evening routines with12 steps, same problem.
Meal prep systems that required to plan17 ingredients, cognitive overload,
time blocking systems where you'resupposed to know exactly what you're
doing every 15 minutes not happening.
If your brain feels like it'son fire, that's not helpful.
That's torture.
(05:46):
The whole productivity industryacts like everyone's brain works the
same, but some of us are managinganxiety, A DHD, depression, trauma,
sleep deprivation, or just theregular chaos of being a human being.
We don't need more optimization.
We do need a little bit more compassion.
If you're listening to this today,drive into work, beating yourself
(06:09):
up about maybe your morning.
Hear me out.
You're not lazy, you're not undisciplined.
You're not failing at being an adult.
Your brain just needs a little bit ofsupport systems, and you don't need to be
seeing the perfect routines on Instagramthat aren't really actually perfect.
Maybe you're burnt out.
Maybe you just need permission to do less.
(06:32):
Maybe you're just overwhelmed andneed someone to tell you that.
Three jumping jacks to start yourday as movement is all that you need.
Your overloaded brain deservestools that actually work.
Not more reasons to feellike garbage but yourself.
So here's your tiny challenge fortoday or maybe tomorrow morning.
Don't try and fix everything, even thoughyou want to just pick one thing that would
(06:55):
make your morning feel 10% less chaotic.
It works.
And remember.
It could be something as simpleas putting your vitamins be beside
your phone charger, or maybe it'ssetting clothes out the night before.
Maybe it's giving yourself permissionto have coffee in bed for 10 minutes
before the world demands your attention.
(07:15):
Whatever your situation is,allow it to work for you.
The goal isn't to become a morning person.
The goal is to stop fighting yourbrain and start supporting it.
As much as we think AI is magic, it's not,and it can't give you cognitive bandwidth,
but it can be this gentle thinking partnerthat helps you work with your overloaded
(07:39):
brain reality instead of against it.
Your brains max out in trying to survive.
So.
Thank you so much for being here.
Tell me what your big oneanchoring moment was today.
Thanks for listening to Human First ai.
I'm Claire Bouvier.
Let's keep creating tech thatsupports real beautifully imperfect,
overloaded, awesome brains in humans.
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