Getting COMFY

"If you win the morning, you win the day." Jordan Gross’s Getting COMFY equips you with a simple, structured approach to transform your mornings into a source of focus, energy, and joy.

1. Reinvent Your Morning Routine

Changing how you start your day can set the tone for everything that follows. Rather than rushing or dreading your mornings, Gross emphasizes the need for a proactive morning routine that brings out your best self.

Gross created the COMFY method, a five-step system designed to ensure you wake up energized and ready. Each letter stands for a component of a successful morning: Calm, Openness, Movement, Funny, and You. The system is meant to be simple but adaptable, so anyone can incorporate it into their lives.

To stay consistent, Gross suggests the No Snooze Challenge. Punish yourself by trading one minute of an activity you love for every minute you snooze your alarm. This adds an incentive to rise right away and creates momentum to follow through with your routine.

Examples

• One night, Gross avoided pre-sleep phone scrolling and instead journaled about his goals. He found it easier to wake up on time the next day.
• He bypassed the snooze button by mentally promising himself extra time for his passion project in the morning.
• A reader who adopted COMFY found increased energy after replacing disorganized mornings with structured habits.

2. Begin With Calm

The shock of a blaring alarm can leave you feeling frazzled from the start. Calm is the first element in the COMFY method and focuses on grounding yourself with a peaceful transition into the day.

Incorporating moments of calm, like meditation or deep breathing, helps clear mental clutter and refines focus. Gross suggests starting with as little as five minutes of mindfulness – concentrating on your breath, repeating a mantra, or using a meditation app like Headspace. For those who find stillness challenging, light yoga or simple stretches can further promote relaxation.

Your environment matters as well. Choose a serene setting for this step, whether it’s a park, balcony, or a corner of your room enhanced by soothing sounds or visuals. Experimenting with what calms you most can make this step enjoyable.

Examples

• Gross finds that five minutes of meditation helps him feel clear-headed and less reactive throughout the day.
• Adding stretches like toe touches and neck rolls helped an insomniac friend stay engaged while easing her tension.
• A friend of Gross played ocean sounds in the background of her meditation routine and reported feeling serene in her urban apartment.

3. Foster Openness and Connection

Openness, the "O" in COMFY, encourages reconnecting with yourself and others each morning. After hours of sleep, your first moments awake can be powerful for introspection and building relationships.

A journal helps cultivate openness with yourself by allowing private exploration of thoughts, fears, and aspirations. Sharing a snippet of one vulnerability with a friend or mentor afterward deepens interpersonal bonds. Gross also advocates starting conversations with strangers. Small gestures can lead to surprising opportunities or insights.

Gross’s interaction with Ronnie Rice, a musician and his Uber driver, is an example of connection reaping unexpected rewards. By being curious and open, he learned inspiring life lessons instead of silently staring at his phone for the ride.

Examples

• Journaling before your phone unlocks your mind instead of bombarding it with texts or news.
• Gross once texted a thank-you note to a professor who had failed him, sparking an uplifting reply and a new friendship.
• A casual morning chat with an Uber driver once led a friend of Gross to a music event collaboration.

4. Move to Shake Off Sluggishness

Movement in the morning jumpstarts your physical energy and enhances your cognitive function. This step doesn’t have to involve intense workouts but should include some form of activity to get blood flowing.

From light walks to vigorous gym sessions, choose a movement routine that fits your fitness level and lifestyle. Gross shares that even after disappointing news, like a job rejection, exercising helps him channel emotions positively. The self-confidence gained after moving can fuel your momentum for the day.

Gross uses his childhood friend Jake’s story to highlight movement’s impact. After surviving a Marine drill sergeant training session during soccer tryouts, Jake discovered how resilience in physical activity can boost mental determination all day long.

Examples

• After a difficult morning, Gross went to a gym class and left feeling upbeat and inspired.
• Jake, a Division 1 athlete, attributes many of his successful days to intense morning exercise routines.
• A neighbor of Gross swears by sunrise jogs, saying they create a sense of accomplishment before facing work.

5. Incorporate Humor

Life can be demanding, but humor gives you a chance to start light. A dose of laughter reduces stress and invites positivity, making it a worthwhile addition to your mornings.

Gross highlights his experience as a care partner for Alzheimer’s patients. Moments of laughter during his workday, such as being mistaken for Clark Gable, were crucial to keeping spirits high despite challenges. He recommends every morning include intentionally humorous activities to uplift your mood.

Personalize this by curating your own lighthearted media diet – think funny animal clips or uplifting stories from feel-good websites like Faith in Humanity. Sharing these finds with a “funny buddy” builds a bond over humor and amplifies the joy.

Examples

• Gross turned off the news in favor of The Onion and felt much happier by the time he finished breakfast.
• An Alzheimer’s patient calling Gross "Clark Gable" revealed the healing power of humor during stressful situations.
• Sharing amusing videos with a friend became a morning ritual Gross looks forward to every day.

6. Make Time for Your Passion

The final step in getting COMFY is dedicating morning time to a pursuit that lights you up and gives your day meaning. Gross argues this doesn’t have to be grand – it just needs to connect to what you truly love.

This step is about combining youthful enthusiasm with age-old wisdom. Identify what excites you most without worrying about societal expectations. Whether it’s painting, gardening, or pursuing a business idea, make your passion a priority, even for ten minutes.

Gross draws inspiration from people like his neighbor Jim Fagan, an attorney who wakes up before dawn to run daily. Adjusting your morning to include what motivates you creates contentment and purpose.

Examples

• Gross’s parents’ morning devotion to caring for him and his brother defined their purpose and shaped his life.
• Working a little each morning on MomdelS – Gross’s cookie company benefiting MS research – keeps him motivated.
• A friend who loved music dedicated morning time to practicing guitar and found her days filled with greater happiness.

7. Sleep Smiling for Better Results

Ending your day sets the stage for a successful morning. Gross suggests indulging in something joyful before bed, whether it’s journaling, chatting with loved ones, or watching feel-good TV.

This practice helps you fall asleep on a high note, reducing stress and increasing the chances you’ll wake up feeling refreshed. Gross believes what happens at bedtime influences how you approach the day ahead.

Examples

• Watching one comforting episode of his favorite sitcom before lights out made Gross fall asleep grinning.
• A friend who started journaling her wins before sleeping noticed a profound mood shift.
• Even quick bedtime calls to his mom improved Gross’s sleep and morning readiness.

8. Start Without Technology

Minimizing screen time during your morning helps focus your attention on what really matters. Gross emphasizes disconnecting from devices initially to prevent distractions or anxiety.

Stashing your phone or keeping it in another room encourages inertia-breaking habits like meditation, exercise, or connecting with others. Many find greater peace when their first moments awake are free from buzzing notifications.

Examples

• A client of Gross shared major productivity gains since swapping morning scrolling for stretching.
• Keeping his phone in another room motivated Gross to stay present during journaling.
• A yoga studio’s phone-free morning challenge inspired its clients to embrace a new routine focus.

9. Play to Sustain the Routine

Gross insists that adding games or challenges to your morning helps maintain consistency. Whether it’s the No Snooze Challenge or counting laughs, keeping it light reduces feelings of obligation.

Turning your mornings into small competitions makes them an enjoyable aspect of your day. Positive reinforcement, even with tiny rewards, can keep you going.

Examples

• Gross frames hitting the gym as “beating sleep” in a playful rivalry with himself.
• Tracking personal records like push-ups done during his morning warmup keeps motivation alive.
• A friend turned sunrise runs into a scenic photo challenge, combining progress with creativity.

Takeaways

1. Start the "No Snooze Challenge": Deduct time from a favorite activity each time you hit snooze.
2. Curate your Positive News Network and “funny buddy” list to start mornings with humor.
3. Dedicate at least ten minutes every day to an activity that aligns with your purpose or passion.