Name: Own the Day, Own Your Life
Rating: 3.9 (7514 reviews)
Author: Aubrey Marcus

How you start your day determines how you end your day. Take charge of your morning, and you’ll inevitably take charge of your entire life.

1. Hydrate First Thing in the Morning

Our bodies go through long hours of dehydration while sleeping, leaving us in need of replenishment upon waking. Rather than reaching for coffee, start your day with water to rehydrate and refuel.

Dehydration in the morning can lead to headaches, anxiety, and fatigue, hindering productivity. While coffee might give an initial jolt of energy, it increases the release of stress hormones when consumed on an empty stomach. This response tricks your body into survival mode rather than energizing it.

Instead, drink a glass of water enriched with some lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Lemon provides vitamins, and the salt restores minerals like potassium and calcium. This small morning ritual lays the foundation for a more balanced and high-energy day.

Examples

Drinking water with lemon hydrates your body more effectively than caffeine.
Stress-free mornings are achievable by rethinking that first drink.
Night sweats increase fluid loss, making morning hydration essential.

2. Avoid Sugary Breakfasts

Many traditional breakfast options, like cereal, waffles, and pastries, are sugar-heavy and poor in fiber. They spike blood sugar levels, only to cause a crash shortly after, leading to mood dips and sluggishness.

When you consume sugary, simple carbohydrates, your blood sugar rises rapidly. This triggers an insulin release to stabilize levels, which can leave you feeling tired and irritable. Over time, this dietary pattern raises risks for conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

Choosing breakfast options with protein, fiber, and good fats—like eggs, whole grains, and avocado—can keep blood sugar stable. These foods provide sustained energy and make you feel fuller longer.

Examples

Judges in an Israeli study granted leniency more often after a balanced meal.
Sugary options like toaster pastries elevate mood briefly but crash energy later.
High-fiber oatmeal stabilizes energy, unlike processed sugary cereals.

3. Nutritional Gaps Need Supplements

Modern farming and dietary practices leave our bodies lacking nutrition that was plentiful in our ancestors’ diets. Supplements help fill in these gaps to support optimal functioning.

Traditional diets, rich in wild plants and naturally fed animals, offered essential vitamins and minerals that are largely absent in today’s processed foods. Modern commercial agriculture has depleted soil nutrients, and factory farming compromises the nutrition in animal products.

Taking targeted supplements, like vitamin D for reduced sun exposure, helps counteract lifestyle and dietary deficiencies. Ensuring your body gets what it needs promotes better overall health and longevity.

Examples

Vitamin D supplements compensate for reduced outdoor activity.
Soil depletion has lessened magnesium in modern vegetables.
A supplement routine complements a busy, nutrient-poor life.

4. Harness the Power of a 20-Minute Nap

Afternoon slumps are a universal struggle, but a nap can work wonders to recharge your mind and body. Science backs the benefits of a power nap for cognitive performance and mood enhancement.

Naps help restore focus, boost logical thinking, and enhance reaction times. A British study found a 20-minute nap is more effective for energy recovery than caffeine or extended nighttime sleep. The limited length avoids deeper sleep stages, leaving you refreshed without grogginess afterward.

Rather than leaning on energy drinks or coffee, a nap offers both productivity and health gains. Even busy workplaces like Google encourage napping for improved employee output.

Examples

Churchill and Kennedy swore by daily naps for focus.
20-minute naps prevent the deep sleep stages that cause grogginess.
Companies like Uber provide nap spaces to promote alertness.

5. Exercise to Improve Your Whole Body

Too often, people pursue fitness with shallow goals—like building abs or increasing biceps—while neglecting functional, overall health. A holistic fitness plan leads to lasting physical benefits.

Over-focusing on specific muscle groups can cause imbalance and injuries. For example, emphasizing chest muscles without working the back can lead to posture and shoulder issues later in life. Broad, balanced strength-building improves stress resilience, sleep quality, and even mood.

Framing fitness as a long-term investment in health helps shift focus from aesthetics to well-being. This outlook keeps you motivated and makes physical activity more enjoyable.

Examples

Balanced workouts reduce stress while upping energy levels.
Total-body training prevents overuse injuries common in gym newcomers.
Regular fitness enhances attractiveness through glowing health.

6. Boost Testosterone for Better Sex

Testosterone drives libido in both men and women but declines naturally with age. Maintaining healthy levels enhances sexual satisfaction while balancing emotions and overall vitality.

A lack of testosterone can lead to less frequent and less enjoyable sex. To naturally raise levels, focus on diet changes, including good fats like those in avocado, nuts, and salmon. Saturated fats, while often demonized, are critical for hormonal balance.

Higher testosterone not only rejuvenates your sex life but also benefits confidence, muscle growth, and mood. By improving this aspect of health, you unlock powerful ripple effects across life.

Examples

Regular sexual activity boosts mood and alleviates stress.
A high-fat diet led research participants to a testosterone increase.
Couples often rekindle intimacy by adopting shared health habits.

7. Better Eating Equals Smarter Decisions

Food choices impact mental clarity and decision-making. Skipped meals or blood sugar dips can lead to poor judgment and reduced empathy, a fact highlighted even in judicial contexts.

Israeli studies demonstrated that judges made more favorable decisions post-meal due to mental sharpness and stable emotions from balanced blood sugar. In personal and professional life, steady energy supports better interpersonal relationships and work outcomes.

To think clearly, eat foods that extend your energy instead of causing sudden peaks and valleys, such as protein-rich yogurt or nuts when you're on the go. Avoid excessive processing or sugary options.

Examples

Prisoners received more lenient rulings after judges' balanced meals.
Complex carbohydrates keep mental faculties sharper than quick sugar hits.
Eating small, frequent snacks prevents fatigue from blood sugar crashes.

8. Stress Less with Intentional Relaxation

Stress builds up throughout hectic days unless you make time to actively release it. Simple practices help reset your nervous system and keep burnout at bay.

Stress manifests physically, impeding sleep, digestion, and overall happiness. Activities like meditating, deep breathing, or spending time outdoors bring relaxation and counter chronic stress’s impact.

A day that includes intentional relaxation allows you to maintain clarity during challenges and better cope with demands. It sustains not only productivity but emotional resilience.

Examples

Deep breathing exercises relax your nervous system after a tense morning.
Spending ten minutes outside aids stress release better than gadgets.
Meditation reduces stress-induced inflammation in the body.

9. Better Routines Equal Bigger Rewards

Living an optimized life relies on consistency and small improvements repeated daily. Structure makes it easier to stick with healthy habits.

Instead of huge overhauls, incremental, manageable changes—like swapping one meal per day or scheduling workouts—compound over time. The less overwhelming your approach, the more you’ll commit repeatedly.

This deliberate daily framework can help make wellness feel achievable. The rewards are nothing short of a more balanced, confident, and energized lifestyle.

Examples