What makes a good morning routine for happiness?

Some movement, something to think about, a little stillness and some gratitude, done before the day's demands arrive. This one starts with a thirty-minute walk outside, then fifteen minutes reading philosophy, scripture or serious non-fiction, fifteen minutes of meditation and five minutes writing three specific things you are grateful for.

How long does it take, and what do I need?

About 77 minutes. You need somewhere to walk, a book that asks something of you and a pen and paper, and no meditation experience, since no special method is required.

Who inspired this Burst?

Arthur C. Brooks, a Harvard professor, Atlantic columnist and author of Strength to Strength and Build the Life You Want, who has called gratitude one of the highest-return happiness practices. The sequence is Bearmore's own, built from what he has shared publicly, and is not a record of his actual routine.

A Morning That Puts Things in Perspective

Quality: Exceptional· 100%Effort: Manageable· 01h 17m

·Inspired by Arthur C. Brooks

Sometimes the small wins are what really matter.

Start your day before you open your inbox or look at your to-do list. This morning routine brings together a walk, some reading, a contemplative meditation, and a moment to sit with gratitude.

The runsheet

1
Morning walk
Being in nature
Thirty minutes outdoors on foot to start the day. This walk earns its place by getting you outside and unhurried, and it doesn't ask you to smash your heart rate. Make it a walk you could think on, not a session you have to recover from.
30 min activitySetup 3 min · Reset 3 min · 36 min all-in
Bearmore’s thoughts on doing being in nature before reading (mindful)
This works well because the settled, attentive state from outside can carry into reading and make engagement feel easier.
2
Read without distractions
Reading (mindful)
Fifteen minutes of contemplative reading. Try philosophy, scripture or serious non-fiction, and pick something that asks more of you. Aquinas or Aurelius are good if you want to go all in.
15 min activitySetup 1 min · Reset 1 min · 17 min all-in
Bearmore’s thoughts on doing reading (mindful) before open awareness
These go especially well together because reading's single-point focus widens naturally into open awareness.
3
Quiet meditation
Open awareness
Fifteen minutes of meditation, no special method is required. The morning meditation is the practice that lets the reading and the writing settle in rather than be forgotten. Sit comfortably, eyes closed, no particular agenda.
15 min activitySetup 1 min · Reset 1 min · 17 min all-in
Bearmore’s thoughts on doing open awareness before gratitude
This is one of the stronger pairings because with attention open and spacious, gratitude can come effortlessly to mind.
4
Five minutes of gratitude
Gratitude
Five minutes writing three specific things you're grateful for. Brooks (who this Burst was inspired by) calls gratitude the highest-ROI happiness practice in the research literature: no-cost, easy to do daily, and durable. Specific gratitudes beat abstract ones.
5 min activitySetup 1 min · Reset 1 min · 7 min all-in
Time well spent.
1h 17m spent doing something good for yourself.

The breakdown

Burst evaluation

QualityExceptional· 100%

Sequencing100%

Logistics100%

DifficultyManageable· 0

Total activity77m / 149mManageable

Physical activity0m / 29mGentle

Mental focus65m / 119mManageable

Introspection5m / 29mGentle

Creativity0m / 59mGentle

+ 4 more conditionsHow we assess →

Wellbeing focus

The relative wellbeing focus of this Burst.

HighEmotional

HighPhysical

MedSelf

HighSocial

HighIntellectual

About this Burst

This Burst is composed and structured around four happiness pillars, sequenced into a morning routine: a walk to get you moving, contemplative reading for the mind, a quiet meditation for some stillness, and gratitude practice as the close.

Authors & thinkers Book lovers Clear my head From the researchers Morning Off the podcasts Out in nature Under 2 hours A new morning routine

Common questions

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