How I'm Improving My Morning Routine for the New Year (and Beyond!)

[@ahmedice9417]

As android and windows/firefox user here is what I use. For android. Go to digital well being and set these up - Focus timer for the whole day. This disables the apps on your phone, if you do need it, u can use it for 5 mins. So even if u do need it, u dont scroll for more than 5 mins. - Dashboard to lock apps after a certain usage hours. - Bedtime. That turns your screen black and white. Firefox - Leechtime extension. Lets you block websites. And has a ton of functionality. It takes a minute to understand how to set it up.

[@lefosg]

Digital Wellbeing on Android is actually a very good way to focus. The apps mentioned on other comments are not completely free.

[@programmingwithnick]

Some of my hacks of the last 10 years. 1. I use a dumbphone for the last 6 years. No I am not afraid of technology. Actually I am developing Android apps for the last 10 years as my full time job and I know the dangers of the dopanine cycle. When I read the book "Hooked" it was over for me instantly. After doing some calculations, I have gained 8 months of time away from the screen the last 6 years. 2. I try to optimize my breakfast according to the book "Glucose Revolution". Amazing stuff. 3. I implemented many tricks from the book "Getting things done". Incredible book. Thanks for the great video.

[@6Pope9]

Atomic Habits is another great book

[@Bromon655]

This will probably seem like a dumb question to you but how do you spend the time that would otherwise be spent on a phone? I feel like if I quit using my phone I’d be doing nothing except staring at a wall all day

[@DZ60]

If you’ve just got in a flow state, taking a break is the last thing you want to do.

[@Antantic_]

You have a very sensible approach to life. I recently faced similar challenges and am still on the path to resolving them. Just recently, I had to live without the internet for a couple of days, and I felt how my mind cleared up, giving rise to new ideas for KZbin videos or improving the video game development process. Wishing you success and looking forward to new videos!

[@Aarimous]

Thank you for normalizing mental health and making it a focus of your routine and even more for sharing your journey. Personally I constantly struggle with my mental health and energy levels. So with game dev I find it's far too easy to get lost in the grind, or fall out of the hobby all together. I find your videos incredibly inspiring and helpful. Thank you :)

[@itsdeltatee]

I myself keep struggling with keeping up healthy habits throughout the day, I find myself ignoring my work for a few days, just to lose an entire day later by crunching to catch-up with my projects. Hopefully I can work to improve my habits for the next year, and seeing your improvements to achieve your goals really motivates me to finally start working towards it. So Thank You a lot, Your videos are always so motivating and inspiring!

[@DevDuck]

I do the same thing! Especially after I wrap up a feature and accompanying devlog... sometimes I'm spent and burn out for a day or two. Need to work on that!

[@rogerwinright2290]

The scrolling bit, I got REALLY bad with for a while. It got so bad that I deactivated as many social media platforms as I could and just that alone gave me a 10x productivity boost

[@VitorMach]

Most videos like this are a bunch of obvious generic tips, but here you give actual creative and helpful ideas. Thanks for sharing these!

[@valen5188]

this just broke me out of my mindless scrolling and made me realize i need a change

[@gegenton3953]

Delayed coffeine intake is working (at least for me). As well as sunlight exposure. This isn't working for me half of the year and I won't go as far as buying a special lamp, but whenever I can, I go for a walk first thing in the morning. Good for you :)

[@diminished4934]

I love your videos, and seeing something like this is really cool to see. Something that I could contribute as a singer, it looks like your breathing isnt as full as you could get. You breathe not by sucking air in, but by pulling down on your diaphragm. What I was taught to be able to sing long lee phrases is to focus your breathing into expanding your stomach instead of raising your shoulders. Your lungs pull down to draw in air, and if you raise your shoulders you limit how full of a breath you can take.

[@BrianPark-p5q]

I love your commitment to improving your morning routine! The nanoleaf hexagon on the side adds such a vibrant and stylish touch to your space, creating a positive atmosphere to kickstart each day.

[@misskaterinat]

I love your lifestyle/ routine videos! I find there’s not a lot of content out there like this from people that actually work & have creative projects. One sec has seriously changed the game for my mindless scrolling, I’ll have to try the 5 second delay with some of my other time-sink apps

[@misskaterinat]

Also- as a forest user it would be cool to see what kind of timer app you come up with!

[@EdQuh]

I'm a big fan of the pomodoro method. What worked best for me is doing 50 minute work sessions with 10 minute breaks. It normally takes my brain a while to get in a deep focus state, by the time i'm in deep focus the 25 minutes is up. That's something I would recommend testing out for yourself!

[@DevDuck]

I'll have to try a longer one! Been doing 25 minutes and though that works well, they do feel short sometimes.

[@bluesillybeard]

It usually takes me upwards of an hour to get into focusing on what I'm doing. I tried the pomodoro method, but it wasn't really effective until the work sessions were multiple hours long, and at that point my natural rhythm for taking breaks does a better job of timing than using an actual timer, since that can also adjust to how much I actually need a break.

[@Skeffles]

Brilliant to see what you're planning on changing and I wish you luck with the new routine.

[@AsiaMakesGames]

Just basically followed all of your advices: wake up earlier, have coffee a bit later, block socials when you wanna be productive. Thank you!

[@dimitriyuckowitcz6869]

What window management tool do you use? Never saw something like you did there with stretching a window to height (and width?) you like.

[@Bromon655]

The caffeine thing is absolutely true. When I get up and pound a coffee first thing in the morning I’m crashing by noon. When I spend an hour or so eating breakfast and doing other tasks before drinking my coffee, I’m fine for the day. Now I try to stick to the “hour after waking up” rule as strictly as possible.

[@michaelklassen2296]

Really appreciate the transparency in this video - been following your journey for a while. I am a solo game developer with a passion for productivity as well as health and wellbeing. Cold showers have been a part of my daily routine for years now, but I want to start using the Wim Hof method as well. I also downloaded the website blocker you're trying out. I'm hoping the deep breath and extra 5 seconds will add a bit more friction that will prevent me from wasting as much time on content feeds. Thank you for sharing the improvements you're going to be making in the New Year! Inspiring, as always.

[@larsstecker5376]

Good Video! Can anyone tell me wich window manager that is at 7:36? I also started using 1sec and pomodoro timers recently. Also dont forget to disable notifications on the phone of all the apps. That way you only open apps when you want to not when the app tells you to do so.

[@jhighmore]

I've just come across your channel and really appreciate your videos and the advice you share. I've been using one sec for a few months now and have noticed a huge difference in the amount that I check my phone. I've also found that simply putting my devices out of my immediate field of view helps to cut down on the cravings. All the best for the new year and thanks again.

[@eshnd-1]

The only problem I face when using the Pomodoro technique is the actual break part. When I only have to work on my game, I have to be pretty focused, and in the morning, since nothing is on my mind, I am the most focused. Unfortunately, when I tried out the Pomodoro technique, taking breaks from working was pretty hard because it was breaking my focus and when I start a break, it usually lasts for way longer than intended, and the rest of my morning is either spent in the break, or thinking about the next break. Instead, what I like to do is take breaks whenever I hit a bug or something that is making my mind think too hard. I usually go on a walk or go pet my dog and I come back with a fresh mind and I'm still focused on the work.

[@ednz26]

I've been following you this year and really enjoy your routine. If you don't mind me asking, I'm really intrigued by what area you live in. It checks all my boxes, especially the access to trails!

[@digitaldisruptlabs]

Great video! Thanks for the tips. ~ I was wondering what window manager/snapping tool you are using on 7:35. Thanks again!

[@coffee_bean__]

you must be the most organised, productive man on the planet!!! don't know how you do it

[@FrostedSentry]

Love the clean slate a new year brings! I've found a lot of value in using the Pomodoro timing technique to help keep my attention/focus. Over the last few years, focus has been one of my biggest challenges. I've leaned into physical writing journals a LOT more to track what's going on in my day (daily journal and a game development journal). Big goals for 2024 is carving out time for personal project exploration and adjusting the fitness plan (visiting the gym way more; weekly yoga class). Good luck out there & best wishes to a great 2024!

[@lukasmorrow8255]

Was not expecting to suddenly recognize the rock climbing gym you were in haha! Happy New Year!!! I am also trying to ease into making small changes to my routine.

[@2dorkstv]

This was an awesome video! I’ve already stolen your iOS shortcut idea so I can curb that impulse. Here’s to continued growth in the new year!

[@dlibinrx]

Awesome video as always! I completely sympathize with the issue of having a hard time stopping in the middle of a productive work session, which keeps me thinking about it. Cal Newport recently put this issue into perspective that I thought was very helpful. Hemingway advocated strongly for "stopping in the middle". He actually advised against stopping work at natural barriers. Apparently, he was known to stop writing in the middle of sentences! One of the hardest things often times is getting started, particularly with difficult work. If you stopped when you still had momentum, it makes it much easier to start right back up. To make it easier to avoid ruminating on it after you've stopped, you have to take some detailed notes about what you were doing and why - so you can just reread it when you start to get all the context back quickly. It's really the "open loops" that cause us to keep thinking about it, and you can effectively "close" them without actually finishing them by documenting them well. With these methods, you don't have to be as afraid of diving into longer tasks when you have less time. Just a thought!

[@underground1112]

What's the name of the software you use to manage the screen space at 7:37?

[@styssine]

Good advice, and at some point I practiced most of this. I think there is one more valuable thing to learn and practice. It is learning how to make choices. From full time job, physical wellness, family, multitude of hobbies you can only really choose two.

[@kukri52231]

Tbh, I really enjoy this channel for the productivity content much more than the game dev.

[@_gamma.]

YES starting my day with a big cup of cold water makes it better, sometimes I still need caffeine but it’s not usually as bad

[@GamesBySaul]

Thank you for this! I found it very useful and insightful. The scrolling stuff especially, I'm now digging around android to see what I can find to do something similar. I have focus mode for Twitter in the evenings and morning and Tiktok has a timer, but something to say "hey why are you doing this" would be best 😅 Also the issues you mentioned with working in the morning and then running out of time is a huge one for me, I'll do personal dev before work, but if I run out of time I'll just say "5 more minutes" which obviously is not just 5 more minutes, so I think time estimating my tasks will really help with that!

[@QuantumPixelJoystick]

i wish i could have a routine :D I live in a pretty good apartment but my neighbors are absolutely crazy (most are creative people) and they blast music any time they want (a lot of them are music producers) and you never know it's gonna be 8 am or 10 am, or sometimes randomly during the night haha and i realized it's impossible for me to make a routing and i have to adapt to a chaos I grew up in a big house with almost no neighbors and it was quiet 24/7, but now when i moved to a city it's crazy here

[@ben53933]

Have you tried adding acoustic isolation to your office ?

[@GDScriptDude]

That morning outdoor scene with the dog looked amazing!

[@JoshJetStream]

Great video! Lots to be inspired from here. I have to ask though, what's the USB device you have plugged into your iPad?

[@SwelIy]

Hey Ben, you are quite inspiring.

[@matthew_jw1318]

We made very similar improvements to our to routine. The one thing I am struggling to get back into is getting up at 5.

[@BarbaOlof]

Inspiring stuff, even though I’m not sure a strict “routine” is for me. I’m also a bit interested your hardware setup. What is it we see on your desk, and are other hardware (NAS?) involved in your workflow (regarding your game dev project, not your work)? (No problem if you don’t want to answer, but I’m kind of interested in stuff like that. 😊)

[@thomashaight8838]

What is that iPad stand? It looks pretty cool.

[@JoshJetStream]

Seconded, I can't find this one online

[@MRxRadex]

Great techniques. What app do you use for window snapping? It looked neat

[@brightFlaskGames]

Thanks for sharing this. It would be nice to share how long you spend developing the game x spend "doing youtube stuff" as you mentioned. I'd be curious to see.

[@codenamepyro2350]

I'd also love to see alternatives to what you showed, since I don't use the apple ecosystem. If anyone has those fixes for Android and/or Firefox I'd love to hear it

[@leagueoflanky]

what's your diet like? do you make breakfast?

[@ireptiile6173]

My main new years goals are to start doing stuff for computer science college sooner because its always the last day and I also want to get more into game dev

[@leonodaston]

Very good! Love your videos. You're a great inspiration for keeping things simple and creating great things!

[@Jean-sj1xw]

I loved the video, but I couldn’t make the shortcut work on my iPhone. Could you please share a tutorial or something? Mine opens the app and then, after 5 seconds, gives me the message. With the app already opened.

[@jamesgutteridge883]

Just checked this video out. I’m exactly the same.. love the new year for all the fresh start feeling it brings. I often take on a few new healthy changes every year, and am doing so again this year. Some of them stick, some don’t. Wondering how you are keeping yourself accountable, if it all?

[@hectorsanchez713]

You should make another Set Up video. Seems like it's different now. Also it's great seing another Mac dev. I use one for programming, and mostly everyone gamedevs on windows so I was kinda thinking of moving to it.

[@Sofia-ts6gy]

I have ADHD and work a fully remote job with almost entirely flexible time schedule which is probably the worst possible work style for me 😢 I struggle a lot with decision fatigue when i have to choose what to do and when to do it, so i want to have a basic fixed routine so as to not make all those decisions every day, but i really struggle keeping a routine even when i plan it out. I’ve been doing it with baby steps so as to not get frustrated when I fail. Re: scrolling time, im focusing on reducing scrolling while lying in bed. So the first rule is no reaching for the phone before i’ve gotten out of bed in the morning. Also trying to do guided meditation every night, because besides being good for my anxiety, it often puts me in a mind state where i WANT to go straight to sleep afterwards instead of scrolling some more. Besides that, I have to say pomodoro doesn’t work for me, because i can’t go back into focus mode if i interrupt it for 5 minutes. I’ve been using time tracking software just to get a bit of dopamine / feeling satisfaction when i can point at it and go “look how many hours i’ve worked on this!”. It’s all still a work in progress… but i can tell i’m doing better than at the beginning of the year!

[@bewilderedlearningevolving]

Videos like this or thinking you can “just change” can imply that struggling with ADHD is a character flaw rather than a legitimate medical condition. Great work! Social expectations and stigma can make it hard for individuals to seek help. This support is about providing an environment where positive changes can be gradually implemented and sustained. Be kind to yourself! 🫶

[@Sofia-ts6gy]

@@bewilderedlearningevolving Thank you so much! I’m very lucky to have a lot of fellow ADHD friends, a supportive family, a good therapist, and access to medication. I don’t mind these videos when they are recorded like this, with a person just talking about what works for them, rather than prescribing what /you/ should do. I find it helpful and can usually have an inkling of which of the things they do might or might not work for me personally ☺ Since this is a game-related channel - funnily enough, one thing that has helped my mindset lately a lot was actually playing the game Hades, haha! Something about that roguelike experience of failing over and over again but getting a bit better, a bit further each time, and acquiring new tools to make things easier, really spoke to me. It helped me feel like, even when I drop the ball and don’t manage to keep a habit I’m trying to build daily, that is just one “failed run” in the long process that will eventually get me where I want to go!

[@borisbojic]

Which Desk Mat are you using in this video? It's not the one from your video description 🙂

[@neozoid7009]

❤❤ Really need a new overhaul routine 😊 Happy holidays ❤

[@shazmimain8293]

hi may i know where you purchase your desk? tq!

[@SteinMakesGames]

Like the desk decor!

[@keithbaker5894]

I found that chrome has a one sec extension on Windows and also an app for Android. Thanks this will really help me.

[@dimikaydoesthings]

What I recently did for my mindless scroll traps is move something like Instagram to a completely different, second hand, slow as hell phone. And that just stays in the living room next to my media system. And for actually posting, I am looking into setting myself up an app calling some upload APIs. Maybe an inspiration for some

[@samhblackmore]

Question about the Pomodoro method: The example you gave of falling into a rabbit hole such as debugging and then having a really hard time context switching because your mind is still thinking about the previous task - I totally get this! If I do a bit of my personal project before work I have a really hard time getting into the mood for work because I can't stop thinking about my game which is actually more fun to work on too. So with the Pomodoro method, how could you avoid the debugging wormhole where you can spend an unknowable amount of time getting to the bottom of a problem? I guess the answer is just timeboxing but even that would lead to a distracted brain coming away from it

[@davidoconnor1548]

What window manager are you using?

[@CushionSapp]

My issue is that I usually try to get too much done in not enough amount of time. While I usually do get everything done, I end up exhausted and overworked which carries over into the next day

[@maasterr]

Pomodoro technique is great for tasks that dont require you to keep a train of thought for too long. If you're coding a feature (specially a complex one) pomodoro technique will just break your cycle, and you will end up having to spend another 10-15 minutes to get back into "the zone". I use it, but not for every task, cheers!

[@PrinceTheDev]

Question, how do you intend to use those 5 minute gaps between waiting for water heat up? Is it that your goal is bask in the moment rather than a feed? I ask because you stated you wanted to reclaim your time, but I'm trying to understand if that 5 minute gap is even claimable? I guess in the sense of, while water heats up, I can take out trash or water plants?

[@theawesomerohit]

Hello Ben, can you please share the shortcut you made to trigger Instagram?

[@NDJ31]

You basicly made Onesec using pure shortcuts! Well done

[@nestorpiedraquesada2954]

Hi Ben! Thank You foto this kind of vídeos, as You properly mention, I hope I can improve my balance with my hobby as a game developer, my full time job, my fur baby and family! Thank You foto letting me rob some of your ideas. Oh and for Android users there is minimalist phone, that has helped me to focus a lot more!

[@Nounsi_Dev]

Hey there, i really want to know how much time each vid takes on average. Im really struggling to have a proper upload schedule while making my indie game

[@tntsuperslayer_10ttv]

I’m so excitedddd

[@davidcarney4602]

I can see you love the greys and silvers your dog matches the couch and curtains as well as your t shirt nice you probably have strong organization skills, game design and graphic plus interior design skills check✔ just love indy gaming this is definitely been inspiring 👍

[@4115steve]

what has boosted my productivity is using the computer laying in a recliner or an electric adjustable bed. Being comfortable is important for working long hours. Laying spread weight so the body doesnt ache . I also use ergonomic wireless keyboards and mice. I use wired keyboards because bluetooth radiation causes my thighs to hurt when the keyboard is on my lap.

[@ilthraldren]

Random question, your house looks very well kept. Are you someone who spends a lot of time keeping it neat and organised, or is it your wife, or both? Do you find one is more laid back and the other more stick, and if so, is one constantly keeping the other in check or is it a seamless process? Asking for a friend :P

[@MrMikefromvegas]

Very interesting. Would it be better to stare off in a haze, or is there content that would be beneficial to look at? Could the issue be the quality of content?

[@benjattkk]

afaik, one sec is on all main browsers and android and iphone!

[@keeboyyy]

This video inspired me to get my shit together. Thank you.

[@Forged-By-Iron]

Me, 10 minutes after I've woken up, sipping my coffee and getting to 9:30.. oops

[@LucasFarizel]

Hello! Greetings from Brazil! Which city do you live in?

[@Xaonort]

Please tell us about your fish tank!

[@theleftperson]

Since you wake up so early, that begs the question, what time do you go to bed every night?

[@DevDuck]

9:30! Or close to it.

[@konjecture]

This has gone from being a game devlog channel to a self help channel after the KZbin money started rolling in 😊.

[@silo_olis]

Idk how you wake up early. I am simply incapable. Even with 8 hours and going to bed at a reaosnable time. My friends are convinced it's because i dont drink coffee (i cant have caffeine for health reasons). But i think there's something else.

[@DevDuck]

Everyone's circadian rhythm is a bit different! If you've tried the morning thing and it doesn't work for you, no need to force it IMO.

[@ashcar6903]

Everyone can't wake up early. There may not be a "reason" aside from you are who you are. It's a shame that society revolves around one type of sleep schedule :/

[@FrostedSentry]

Also, don't forget the intrinsic part of what motivates an early riser. If you genuinely don't care or need to get up early, you're fighting a losing battle. If you have specific reasons that you honestly care about then it's a matter of *slowly* working yourself toward the goal. Don't just start by waking up 2 hours earlier than normal. Start with 15 minute increments over weeks or months.

[@ashleyspianoprogress1341]

A great tip I have is to have 2 separate KZbin accounts. Keep this KZbin account and only watch productive game dev content. That will trick the algorithm into only showing you productive things. Have a second account for the times you do actually want to doom scroll and watch random videos!

[@angrygeri7026]

Funnily enough this is the EXACT reason why I STOPPED watching your channel. 😂 I've been working hard on myself by creating better routine which took so much of my time away from programming. That essentially led me to not watch your content, but I'm getting back into it soon, just need a lil more time. 👌 Great vid!

[@vladdimitrov819]

I know this is totally something personal, but I'd be careful about going too far optimizing all the randomness and messiness out of your day. At least for more graphics/design/vfx people like me, those moments are often when I get inspiration from something that I scrolled by or a video I watched in my downtime. There's definitely a balance to be struck, but at least for me, I can't schedule finding things that inspire me and trigger that flash of excitement of a new idea. I think it's OK to allow some of that messiness in your life and understand that the creative process means there's going to be some byproduct of wasted time.

[@silvankuebler]

Cool video! But be aware that Huberman is what I would call a guru. He also did lots of animal studies and extrapolated results onto humans... which may not hold. He is overhyped.

[@Tbjbu2]

do you hate money or what? make a steam page already💀 good video

[@k4gi]

has emma been kidnapped

[@glassesfreak3829]

early gang wya

[@razlad2523]

earlx gang

[@alexdev.]

W

[@abylinjohnson]

first comment!!!

[@ImNotStealth]

maybe first idk it says 1 view lol

[@TYNEPUNK]

filming everything you talk about cant be easy too.. u talk about wasting time but u video yourself doing it all lol. ultimately u dont get much dev done with all the filming and editing and working out, dog walking and making food etc. Though to be fair the fact that u do a full time job and all this speaks volumes about your ability to get things done. 25 minutes is no where near long enough to achieve anything, and all them 5 minute breaks just waste time imho. Maybe I am a bit extreme but to me it seems that you just waste your entire day trying anything at all to avoid developing your game :) Still the games coming on somehow, looks great.

[@dmitriykoltunov4261]

There are some underlying issues there. As a psychologist I can say that this person created somewhat of a curtain in front of himself where he convinced himself that he is happy yet that is not really true. His actions of looking for various "browser plugins", analyzing how he watches Instagram is a sign that he is looking for these worthless behaviour changes in hopes to increase happiness. Unfortunately these will not work and the main underlying issue has to be addressed. His unhappiness with who he is can come from an unhappy marriage, workload, or something completely different but it's definitely an unhappiness in his life that is affecting him. Main underlying issue has to be addressed.