Jamie Wood, 43, began climbing the corporate ladder at a young age. Wood’s family is involved in finance and she thought she would follow suit. But after diving in, she burnt out, “It’s really bad at the end of my 20s.”
When he burned out, Wood was fascinated by how his brain behaved. She founded Autonomic, a brain wellness platform that analyses user behavior and helps them build new habits aimed at lowering stress and improving energy, focus, mood and sleep.
Wood calls the platform “personal trainer for your brain.”
For years, Wood has worked with neuroscience experts and used what he learned to create some of his habits for optimal cognitive function.
This is her “an in-negotiable morning routine.”
1. She avoids looking at her phone first thing in the morning
First, Wood avoids looking at digital devices for the first 30 minutes of the day.
“The first activity in the morning can strongly influence your ability to stay focused, motivated and think clearly for the rest of the day,” she says. “Your prefrontal cortex, a part of your brain, helps you concentrate and make decisions, but it is especially influenced by what you are doing and experiencing right after waking up.”
Research shows that people’s attention declined from an average of 2.5 minutes in 2004 to an average of 47 seconds in 2016.
Instead, Wood brushes her teeth, showers and dresses for the first 30 minutes of her day.
2. She “shreddling a pinch of salt and drinking warm water.”
The wood also ensures that you stay hydrated.
“I boil my kettle and drink warm water with a pinch of salt and a slice of lemon or orange,” she says. Maintaining hydration is improving sleep quality, cognition and mood, according to Harvard Chan School of Public Health.
“A small pinch of salt or a balanced electrolyte solution — a pinch of salt, a citrus splash, or a small honey water — can enhance cognitive function and response times after dehydration overnight,” she says.
3. She spends time outside
The wood then goes outside and sits near an open window facing the east as soon as you wake up or if it’s cold.
Light is considered to be the primary stimulus to help the body understand when it’s time to sleep or wake up, etc., according to Stanford University’s Lifestyle Medicine Program.
“Expose your eyes to outdoor light within 30-60 minutes of waking up. Ideally, for 1-3 minutes, even on a cloudy day, set the internal brain clock, circadian rhythm correctly,” Wood says.
“This daily habit supports better energy, sharper thinking and healthier sleep.”
Natural light from 10am to 2pm can also be helpful if you can’t get out right away, she says.
4. She makes some moves
Finally, the wood will move in the morning for a few minutes. “If that’s good, I’ll go around the block a bit,” she says.
“If that’s not good, I’ll do some gentle movement.” That could mean jump jack, push-up, or stretch.
“Morning exercise releases dopamine and norepinephrine, a chemical that focuses and motivates the brain,” she says. “It boosts mood, sharpens the focus, improves attention, memory, cognitive flexibility, and hours of learning.”
All of these habits help you prepare the wood to suit her schedule. “I’m going to go ahead with all this and to prime my brain for the day,” she says. “The impact I noticed is important.”
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