🥼Maximizing Morning Creativity by Skipping Stimulants
Focus: Explore how removing coffee and exercise from the early morning routine influences creative output, especially for writing tasks.
Duration: Multiple sessions across a 4-week period, including different cycle phases and days of the week.
Tracking: Bullet Journal entries capturing energy, focus, clarity, and ease of writing; qualitative reflections on mood, output, and flow state.
Goal: To test whether entering creative work from a grounded, stimulant-free state leads to deeper focus, faster output, and a more aligned writing experience.
Why This Experiment?
I’ve always been curious about the fine line between *activation* and *overstimulation*. While I love my morning coffee and post-sunrise movement, I noticed that some of my best creative bursts happen *before* either of those habits kick in.
This experiment was about testing that hunch: What happens if I skip both caffeine and exercise first thing, and dive straight into writing instead? Could my creative state deepen without external stimulation? Would my focus improve?
My Baseline Before the Experiment
Typically, my mornings include:
Coffee or matcha within 30–60 minutes of waking
Movement (a walk, workout, or mobility flow)
A brief journaling session or planning block
I often save my creative writing for later in the day, after I’ve “warmed up.” But I’ve had glimpses of how powerful the early-morning creative window can be when left undisturbed. I wanted to capture that energy and study it more intentionally.
My Approach
I kept it simple and ran this experiment multiple times over four weeks, varying the days and cycle phases:
Wake up → UVA rise with herbal tea
No coffee or movement
Sit down and write immediately (articles, newsletters, or outlines)
No social interaction or digital distractions
Track energy, clarity, and focus in my Bullet Journal
I also skipped my usual “get ready” routine, no cute outfits, no makeup. Just messy bun, cozy layers, and forest desk vibes.
Observations and Insights
Writing was quicker and cleaner. I completed full articles and newsletters in one sitting, including editing—a task I usually leave for another day.
I felt more grounded. There was less inner chatter. Fewer tabs open in my brain.
Creativity had a single-pointed quality. I wasn’t flooded with ideas or trying to do too much. I chose a simple topic and expanded it with ease.
My nervous system was calm. I stayed in a soft, inward-focused state (possibly alpha or theta brainwaves) instead of revving into productivity mode.
Solitude amplified the effect. I also ran this experiment on days when my husband was out of town, the creative flow was even stronger when I had no external energy to interact with.
I felt a lil FOMO about skipping coffee but the herbal tea + UVA combo was enough to feel alert but not jittery.
Results and Takeaways
This kind of productivity felt different, not forced. I redefined what “productive creative energy” means for me. It turns out I don’t need to be stimulated to be effective. I need to be centred.
Big takeaways:
My creativity thrives in a kind of stillness.
Coffee is better suited for extroversion and execution, not introspection or idea generation.
What I wear (or don’t wear) influences how “on” I feel. Removing that layer helped me go inward.
External quiet = internal clarity.
Will I Keep This Going?
Yes, though not every day. I view this routine as another tool in the mindful productivity toolkit, rather than a prescription. I plan to keep using it:
On weekends, when I need to do creative writing or content writing
After finishing a big project, to make the most of a clear headspace
Anytime I want to write from a slower, softer place
This was a wonderful reassurance that creativity thrives without pressure… or caffeine!
Final Reflection
We often assume that stimulation leads to focus. However, in this case, removing stimulation led to clarity.
This experiment helped me reconnect to a quieter kind of productivity—one that feels truer to who I am. And that version of me? She writes better, thinks clearly, and doesn’t need coffee to get going.
