The 5am No Screen Rule
Reading a book and going for a walk are the most inspiring things you can do early in the morning.
Getting up early was never a problem for me. Reading the first messages and emails on my cell phone was often my first activity in the morning.
I have heard from many colleagues and friends that this is not just my way of waking up. We wake up, still lying in bed, reach for our cell phones, and start reading. After doing this for several years, I realized how weak my eyes still are at 5 a.m. and how beautiful the sun is in summer or even in winter when it shines through the curtains that are still closed.
Asking myself why I am really so keen on reading digital headlines or work-related discussions on a very small screen showed me how I wasted one of the most beautiful moments of the day.
I really wanted to change this, and there are many books about the perfect morning routine, so I set up the 5am No Screen Rule. That means absolutely no screens, not only the mobile ones. So also no TV or any other distractions from waking up and enjoying the start of the day.
What are the best things for me in the early morning? Reading a book and going for a walk. Reading right before breakfast is very inspiring, and if I'm still feeling tired, I go for a walk, no matter what the weather is like.
This has completely changed my entire perception of things, nature, and my surroundings. When you start the day like this, you begin to break away from the habit of being “always on.” I take lots of notes from the books I read and have exciting discussions during the day about the intellectual topics they cover. These are discussions that no social media algorithm could ever have brought about.
Jens Koester is a strategic advisor focused on the structural friction between exponential technology and the enduring patterns of human culture. Through The Human Datum, he provides the intellectual architecture and foresight necessary for leaders to navigate the AI-driven decade with clarity and intentionality.
