Hey there. Let’s be real for a minute – you know that feeling when your body is screaming “I can’t anymore!” but your to-do list keeps growing? That’s not just being “tired” or “stressed” – there’s actually something deeper happening.
I discovered this the hard way. Picture me, three years ago:
6 AM – Alarm blaring. I’d set this time specifically to have a quiet hour for my non-negotiable morning routine – hydrate, take my AG1, meditate, journal, and workout – the exact five practices that had once been my anchor and secret weapon.
The difference between success and struggle was simple: on good days, I remembered my own wisdom: What happened overnight can wait. I wake up earlier than most for a reason – to control my morning, not surrender it.
But somewhere along the way, I’d forgotten this truth. The phone started making its way into my morning ritual. Just a quick peek, I’d tell myself. And then those three emails marked “urgent” would hijack everything.
The moment I’d glance at that screen, my brain would shift from proactive to reactive. My carefully designed morning – the very foundation that had built my success – would crumble before it began.
Sound familiar?
By 7:30 AM, I’d find myself deep in problem-solving mode, having betrayed my own proven formula for success and resilience. The water glass would sit untouched. The AG1 forgotten. The meditation cushion gathering dust. The journal closed. My workout clothes still folded neatly, mocking me.
8 AM to 7 PM – Back-to-back Zoom and Teams calls without even a bathroom break. Camera on, professional smile fixed in place despite the growing tension headache.
9 PM – Still answering Slack messages while my dinner gets cold beside me.
Weekends? Those became just weekdays with slightly fewer meetings. Vacations? Just working from a different location.
Here’s the thing – I was running my business in permanent reactive mode—fighting fires, making split-second decisions, and constantly pivoting to meet everyone else’s needs. The lines between work and life didn’t just blur—they completely disappeared.
The worst part wasn’t even the exhaustion. It was looking in the mirror one day and barely recognizing the person staring back. Where was the excitement I used to feel about my work? When was the last time I had a creative idea that wasn’t born from desperation? What happened to those ambitious visions I once had for my company—and myself?
I had become a hollow version of myself—efficient at execution but disconnected from purpose. My passion had been replaced by a mechanical drive to just keep the wheels from falling off. Every decision was reactive, never proactive.
My relationships suffered. My health deteriorated. And that business I’d poured my heart into? It was still growing, but had somehow transformed from my greatest source of pride into a relentless taskmaster.
Let’s talk about what was really happening. What I was experiencing wasn’t just normal stress. It was allostatic load.
Your Body’s Breaking Point (Explained Simply)
Think of your body like your phone battery. Every stressor – work demands, leadership decisions, financial pressures, team conflicts, even that endless email inbox – drains your battery a little bit.
In a perfect world, you’d recharge regularly. But let’s be honest, when was the last time you fully unplugged?
When you keep operating on 10% battery for weeks, months, or years, something interesting happens:
Your “battery” starts losing its capacity to hold a charge
The “charging port” gets damaged so even when you do rest, you don’t fully recover
Your system starts operating in emergency mode all the time
This is what’s happening in your body when you’re under chronic stress without adequate recovery.
Ever notice how our culture celebrates this constant depletion? We glorify the “hustle,” wear exhaustion like a badge of honor, and praise those who are “always on.” What a load of nonsense.
Why “Just Try Harder” is Terrible Advice
Here’s what I see with my fellow executives all the time:
They KNOW they should eat better. They WANT to exercise regularly. They PLAN to disconnect on weekends.
But somehow, it just… doesn’t happen.
I’ve been there. Heck, some days I’m still there.
Here’s the fascinating thing I’ve learned: When your body is in this depleted state, the very part of your brain responsible for making good decisions, planning ahead, and resisting temptations? It’s the first system to go offline.
It’s like your body is saying: “Sorry, we’re diverting power from the willpower department to keep basic functions running.”
This is why:
You know your morning routine works, but you still reach for your phone
You set your alarm for that morning workout but hit snooze seven times
You promise yourself a tech-free weekend but find yourself answering “just one quick email” that turns into hours
It’s not lack of discipline.
It’s not weakness.
It’s your body conserving energy for survival.
Breaking the Cycle (Without Adding More Stress)
When I hit my own wall and started researching solutions, I rediscovered something important: I already had the answer. My morning routine wasn’t broken – I had simply stopped trusting it and protecting it.
The solution wasn’t creating something new. It was returning to what I already knew worked:
1. Remember that it can wait
I placed a simple note on my alarm clock: “It can wait.” This reminded me every morning of a fundamental truth: whatever happened overnight can absolutely wait until I’ve completed my morning five. The world had managed just fine for the hours I was asleep; it could manage 60 more minutes.
When urgent thoughts popped up during meditation or my workout, I kept a small notebook nearby to quickly jot them down and return to my practice. This simple act assured my brain that nothing would be forgotten while protecting my sacred time.
2. Reclaim what’s in your control
I realized that waking up early was my strategic advantage – my opportunity to operate on my terms before the world demanded my attention. By surrendering this time to emails and reactivity, I was voluntarily giving away my greatest source of power and clarity.
So I recommitted to the boundary: no phone until after my morning five. I bought an actual alarm clock and started leaving my phone in another room overnight.
This wasn’t about adding anything new to my plate. It was about protecting what I already knew worked.
Don’t we all have enough on our plates already? The last thing you need is another “should” in your life.
3. Trust your own model
I had to remind myself that my morning routine wasn’t just a nice-to-have – it was the very foundation that had built my success. When I followed it consistently, I showed up as a better leader, made clearer decisions, and actually accomplished more with less stress.
On days when I honored my routine, I could respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. Problems that seemed overwhelming became manageable. My creativity flowed more easily. And importantly, I felt like myself again.
A Different Path Forward
What I’ve found, both personally and watching my fellow executives, is that sustainable change doesn’t always mean adding something new. Sometimes it means returning to what we already know works.
If you’re operating under high allostatic load (aka your body’s battery is critically low), the path back to better health might look like:
First, identify what already works for you – what practices have served you well in the past?
Then, protect those practices fiercely – what boundaries need to be in place?
Finally, trust the process – remember that your proven systems work if you work them
This approach might not make for sexy LinkedIn posts about revolutionary new productivity hacks, but it creates lasting transformation that doesn’t require superhuman willpower.
Who decided we all need to be available 24/7 anyway? When did we collectively agree that other people’s “urgencies” should override our own wellbeing? I’m calling BS on the whole thing.
Your Next Step (Just One)
If any of this resonates with you, try this simple exercise: Tomorrow morning, place your phone in another room before bed. When you wake up, complete just ONE element of your ideal morning routine before checking it.
Notice how differently your day unfolds when you begin on your terms rather than in response to someone else’s agenda.
Remember, your body isn’t broken and your willpower isn’t weak. You already have the wisdom and the tools you need. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is return to what we already know works.
I’d love to hear from you – what morning practice will you reclaim this week? And hey, if you try this out, drop me a note and let me know how it goes. We’re all in this together.
With care,
Sumit