I wanted to add something to the point of not using your phone in the morning (I haven't read your article on this, so sorry if I'm repeating!). Avoid any easy tasks first thing that gives an easy dopamine hit. That means social media, reading news, checking emails, gaming, music, anything that gives you an easy buzz. Apparently, those activities can use an outsized portion of dopamine that is better spent on hard tasks.
It's not great advice, starting your day doing difficult and unpleasant things. But it works and extends your energy much further. Even ten minutes of unpleasantness (I do my drawing drills) can build fantastic momentum. Pre-plan so you know what you will do - don't figure it out when you wake up.
I wanted to add something to the point of not using your phone in the morning (I haven't read your article on this, so sorry if I'm repeating!). Avoid any easy tasks first thing that gives an easy dopamine hit. That means social media, reading news, checking emails, gaming, music, anything that gives you an easy buzz. Apparently, those activities can use an outsized portion of dopamine that is better spent on hard tasks.
It's not great advice, starting your day doing difficult and unpleasant things. But it works and extends your energy much further. Even ten minutes of unpleasantness (I do my drawing drills) can build fantastic momentum. Pre-plan so you know what you will do - don't figure it out when you wake up.
I agree 100% James. There's even a name for that: precrastination (as opposed to procrastination). Find out more here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pre-crastination-the-opposite-of-procrastination/