Morning Struggles & Wasted Time

“At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?”

So you were born to feel “nice”? Instead of doing things and experiencing them? Don’t you see the plants, the birds, the ants and spiders and bees going about their individual tasks, putting the world in order, as best they can? And you’re not willing to do your job as a human being? Why aren’t you running to do what your nature demands?

You don’t love yourself enough. Or you’d love your nature too, and what it demands of you.” ―Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 5.1

Morning Struggles and Wasted Time

At the beginning of Book 5 of Meditations, Marcus Aurelius writes to himself about a problem most of us face every morning — getting out of bed. The warmth of our blankets shields us from the cold air, the temptation to scroll social media, and the procrastination of responsibilities. While the short-term gratification of scrolling Instagram or hitting snooze on your alarm may seem “nice,” do these things help us? Do they help you accomplish your goals and aspirations? Do you feel like a better person after doing these things? No, they spoil us and make us miss important moments in life.

Do this exercise… go to your phone’s settings and check your average daily screen time (how many minutes you use your phone). All major smartphones have this capability, even detailing which apps you use and when. Do you have a spike in screen time early in the morning or late at night? Do you have an inordinate amount of screen time on social media or games? If you’re like the average person, you spend over two hours on social media daily. According to GWI research, the average person spends 2 hours and 24 minutes on social media every day. That equals 876 hours annually.

Is occasionally scrolling social media or playing a game a bad thing? No. There is nothing wrong with using these apps to relax, unwind, or take your mind off of things. The problem is when we use these things in excess and the time lost interferes with what is important to us, or as Marcus says, “[doing] your job as a human being.”

Let’s say you’re like the average person spending over two hours on social media every day. Let’s also imagine that you decide to make a lifestyle change and reduce your screen time by one hour daily (so you gain back seven hours every week). Over the course of five years, you will have “earned” back 76 days of your life. Do you think that you would remember those 76 days worth of scrolling on TikTok? Would you regret losing days of playing Candy Crush? Or would you be happier spending that time playing with your kids, learning a new skill that progresses you at work, or working out to feel better and live longer?

Marcus Aurelius’ Morning Routine

Marcus Aurelius was the most powerful man in the world with no one to answer to. He suffered from insomnia and all of the subsequent effects. Despite having reasons to stay in bed and relax, Marcus woke up early every day.

No matter where Marcus Aurelius was waking up—the frontlines of battle in Germania or his home in Rome—he began his day with a blank piece of reed and a stylus. He would write down a meditation that was top of mind, a philosophical passage that resonated at that moment, or general thoughts on his day. He would ask himself about what was important to him that particular day, what he needed to accomplish, and how to do the right things.

After Marcus would go through his morning mental exercises of journaling and meditating, he would move on to physical exercise. He enjoyed wrestling, hunting, running, and boxing. Like many philosophers of the time, the belief was that one must train not only their mind but also their body. Marcus likely read the works of philosopher Musonius Rufus, who believed “the philosopher’s body also must be well prepared for work because often virtues use it as a necessary tool for the activities of life.”

Marcus followed his morning exercise with a cold bath, which was “prescribed” to him by a doctor. Like many Romans, he would have found peace and relaxation in one of the many bathhouses across the empire. During these cleansings, he meditated and “washed away the dust of earthly life.” By engaging in bathhouse meditations, Aurelius suggests that one can cleanse one's mind of the trivialities and distractions of daily life. It's a metaphorical cleansing, where profound thoughts and cosmic awareness replace mundane concerns.

After his workout and cold bath, Marcus would engage with the citizens of Rome. Despite being an introvert, he made a daily effort to interact with his people because he understood his larger mission to serve Rome's populace. Being a social individual, he felt a responsibility to connect with and understand the worries and desires of the Roman people. This theme of working for the common good is prevalent in Meditations, where he famously states, “What is bad for the hive is bad for the bee.”

Upon Rome waking up and starting their day, Marcus would return to his palace to change into his imperial robe. He eagerly wanted to start his job. He understood the gravity of his role, knowing that every action must be deliberate, and executed with sincerity and earnestness. His entire morning routine prepared him for his long workday. He leaped into his most difficult tasks rather than checking the boxes of easier, mundane duties. Unlike most people who spend their day reacting to issues or doing what is easy, Marcus leaped into difficult matters while he was fresh. “Concentrate every minute like a Roman— like a man—” he wrote, “on doing what's in front of you with precise and genuine seriousness, tenderly, willingly, with justice.”

Emperor Aurelius made his morning routine a ritual. In his private journal, posthumously published as "Meditations," he reflected, “You see how few things you have to do to live a satisfying and reverent life? If you can manage this, that’s all even the gods can ask of you.”

While you may not hold the emperor's title in a mighty civilization, you encounter the same challenges as Marcus Aurelius did upon awakening. So, how will you choose to begin your mornings? Your morning routine sets the tone for your entire day, shaping your life. To lead a fulfilling life, start with a positive morning. Take charge of your mornings, take charge of your days, take charge of your life.

“Putting things off is the biggest waste of life: it snatches away each day as it comes, and denies us the present by promising the future. The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today. You are arranging what lies in Fortune’s control, and abandoning what lies in yours. What are you looking at? To what goal are you straining? The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately.” –Seneca, On The Shortness Of Life