Tim Ferriss's Daily Routine

He puts his phone on airplane mode at bedtime and leaves it there until he has finished his morning routine, so texts and emergencies don't wreck his meditation. He calls the first hour his boot-up sequence (as of 2018). ³ The Answers to My Favorite Questions (#284), transcript (2018) · Unusual habits passage, after the 'books I've gifted the most' answer

"it doesn’t come off of airplane mode until I’ve finished my morning routine"

He makes his bed in under three minutes: no tucked sheets, just the duvet pulled over and smoothed out, pillows placed neatly. He says it gives him one thing he controlled even on a bad day, and keeps his space free of visual distraction. ¹ 5 Morning Rituals That Help Me Win the Day (2018) · #1 Make Your Bed (<3 minutes), page 1

"The goal is visual tidiness, not Four Seasons."

As of 2021 he described 20 minutes of meditation as the first thing he does, usually some form of Transcendental Meditation. ⁴ Q&A with Tim: Current Morning and Exercise Routines, Holotropic Breathwork, and More (#518), transcript (2021) · First question (Sera): 2021 updated morning routine

"The basics are 20 minutes of meditation first thing in the morning."

In December 2025 he described sitting in his hot tub while doing a 10-minute meditation with The Way app, then getting into his cold pool for a few minutes, then a cold shower. He calls the hot tub one of his indulgences. ⁵ Arthur Brooks: Finding The Meaning of Your Life, The Poet's Protocol, The Holy Half-Hour (#841), transcript (2025) · Tim's description of 'this morning', ketosis and morning routine passage

A few push-ups (his favorite is push-ups on rings with a turn-out) to wake up his body and quiet mental chatter. It is not meant as a workout. He says he often follows it with a 30 to 60 second cold shower (as of 2018). ¹ 5 Morning Rituals That Help Me Win the Day (2018) · #3 Do 5 to 10 Reps of Something (<1 minute), page 2

"The 5 to 10 reps here are not a workout."

He reads a few pages of Stoicism, such as Marcus Aurelius's Meditations, to prepare for whatever goes wrong that day, and keeps a Marcus Aurelius quote on his refrigerator (as of 2018). ¹ 5 Morning Rituals That Help Me Win the Day (2018) · #1 Make Your Bed section, page 2 (points A and B)

After meditating, brushing his teeth and basic self-care, he goes downstairs for pu-erh tea, alternating with black or green tea or coffee (as of 2021). ⁴ Q&A with Tim: Current Morning and Exercise Routines, Holotropic Breathwork, and More (#518), transcript (2021) · First question (Sera): 2021 updated morning routine

He alternates between two kinds: Morning Pages, free writing to get unstuck, and the 5-Minute Journal, prompts for gratitude and the day's priorities. He budgets 5 to 10 minutes for it (as of 2018). ¹ 5 Morning Rituals That Help Me Win the Day (2018) · #5 Morning Pages or 5-Minute Journal (5 to 10 minutes), page 3

"Next up is journaling, which is not a “Dear Diary” situation."

In late 2025 he said that after meditating he likes easy Zone 2 cardio on an empty stomach, and that he saves weight training for the late afternoon because hard morning training can spike his blood sugar. ⁵ Arthur Brooks: Finding The Meaning of Your Life, The Poet's Protocol, The Holy Half-Hour (#841), transcript (2025) · Zone 2 / fasted cardio exchange with Arthur Brooks

"After the meditation, I do like fasted cardio."

Once his routine is done he sits down for focused work with no interruptions. In the episode, that block was preparing for the interview (December 2025). ⁵ Arthur Brooks: Finding The Meaning of Your Life, The Poet's Protocol, The Holy Half-Hour (#841), transcript (2025) · Tim's description of 'this morning', right after the cold shower

"this was my kind of deep work prep. No interruptions."

As of late 2025 he almost always fasts until 2 or 3 p.m., a 16 to 18 hour fast with a six to eight hour eating window. He said that for decades before, he ate 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking, and still thinks that is a good option. ⁵ Arthur Brooks: Finding The Meaning of Your Life, The Poet's Protocol, The Holy Half-Hour (#841), transcript (2025) · Ketosis and intermittent fasting passage, Tim on protein after waking

"I almost always do intermittent fasting where I am fasting until 2:00, or 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon."

He tries to walk at least an hour a day, and takes many of his phone calls while walking. He says walking helps him emotionally as much as physically (as of 2021). ⁴ Q&A with Tim: Current Morning and Exercise Routines, Holotropic Breathwork, and More (#518), transcript (2021) · Second question (Mark Chavez): current exercise routine, walking

"walking is not just physically therapeutic, but psychoemotionally incredibly therapeutic"

In the evening he and his partner often use a hot tub or sauna to physically let go, then watch a short TV show (as of 2021). ⁴ Q&A with Tim: Current Morning and Exercise Routines, Holotropic Breathwork, and More (#518), transcript (2021) · Evening routines answer, livestream section

He reads before bed to wind down and estimates three to five hours of reading a week, more when traveling (as of 2021). ⁴ Q&A with Tim: Current Morning and Exercise Routines, Holotropic Breathwork, and More (#518), transcript (2021) · Matt Ridley question: time set aside for reading

"I tend to read before bed as a way to wind down"

He calls temperature one of his main levers for sleep and uses a temperature-controlled bed cover. He also limits how much caffeine he has and how late, and gets exercise and sun before lunch to sleep better (as of 2021). ⁴ Q&A with Tim: Current Morning and Exercise Routines, Holotropic Breathwork, and More (#518), transcript (2021) · Sleep question: tips, resources, hacks for improving sleep

"I sleep as cold as I can without suffering"

The 5-Minute Journal has a night section: three good things that happened and how the day could have been better. He suggests rereading your "amazing things" answers at least once a month (as of 2018). ¹ 5 Morning Rituals That Help Me Win the Day (2018) · #5 Morning Pages or 5-Minute Journal, pages 3 to 4

Instead of spreading every type of work across every day, he gives days a theme. Tuesdays, for example, are for batching phone calls, often taken while walking (as of 2021). ⁴ Q&A with Tim: Current Morning and Exercise Routines, Holotropic Breathwork, and More (#518), transcript (2021) · First question (Sera): 'I organize my week in a thematic approach'

One or two short sessions a week of 20 to 40 minutes, such as the Occam's protocol from The 4-Hour Body or kettlebell swings, mainly to prevent injury rather than to boost performance (as of 2021). ⁴ Q&A with Tim: Current Morning and Exercise Routines, Holotropic Breathwork, and More (#518), transcript (2021) · Second question (Mark Chavez): current exercise routine, weight training

As of 2021 he did AcroYoga twice a week with his partner and rock climbing twice a week, and kept climbing to twice a week on purpose to avoid the overuse injuries he has had in the past. ⁴ Q&A with Tim: Current Morning and Exercise Routines, Holotropic Breathwork, and More (#518), transcript (2021) · Second question (Mark Chavez): AcroYoga and climbing

He blocks out two date nights a week with his partner, because otherwise work crowds out time with people he cares about (as of 2021). ⁴ Q&A with Tim: Current Morning and Exercise Routines, Holotropic Breathwork, and More (#518), transcript (2021) · Evening routines answer, livestream section