I recently made four weekly routine changes all at the same time. This is rare for me - the last comparable change I made would be in June 2019 when I decided (and started) to lift consistently three days a week.
- Three weeks ago I started swiming in the sea at 6pm on workout days;
- A week ago I moved my 3x weekly weightlifting from 7pm to 5:30am;
- I stopped drinking coffee (usually 2 cups over the course of a day);
- I started drinking genmai-cha green tea (3-4x 400ml per day).
I've noticed the following benefits:
Working out in the evening, my motivation was generally low, with a nagging thought of "I'm tired, after this I'm going to get a shower and go to bed". Working out in the morning, I want to complete the workout, have breakfast and start the day!
No coffee / greatly reduced caffeine intake has meant no more anxiety, jitter, irritability or heart palpitations. Also, no more coffee sweat - yuck! I had mild headaches for a few days after dropping coffee but no more.
I bought a 400ml double-walled glass bottle from Amazon which I fill up before starting my workout, then drink and re-fill as needed from then onwards until I finish work at the of the day. The bottle being glass was important for me, as it allows me to see how much tea is left and acts as a constant reminder to drink - I previously had a problem staying sufficiently hydrated during the day.
I feel calmer, more energy, more focused than previously and appreciate the ongoing mental focus throughout the day rather than the spikes and slumps I'd get from coffee.
Physical recovery time has improved, although I'm unsure if that's from moving workouts to the morning, Theanine from the green tea or the shock to the body from swimming in the sea.
Finally, I used to rise at 8am or later and wanted to rise earlier for a long time now but failed to make it happen. This combination of changes seems to have helped it stick.