1. Meditating — After waking up at 5 a.m., the neurosurgeon spends 10 minutes meditating. He attributes the meditation to reducing stress levels and avoiding burnout. Additionally, Dr. McLaughlin said meditating may improve mental health and sleep.
2. Filing — With a personal file system labeled for each day of the month, Dr. McLaughlin takes time out of his morning to file the task for the day. This helps him stay organized, only doing and thinking about tasks designated for a single day.
3. Planning — Dr. McLaughlin consults a daily planner and makes lists of everything that needs to be checked off for the day. Although, the neurosurgeon does say mapping out the day does not guarantee it will stay on course.
With his three-step routine locked down, Dr. McLaughlin recommends others to try out different morning routines until something works for you.
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