Why We’re Obsessed with Other People’s Morning Routines
Everyone has a morning routine. But yours probably doesn’t start before 4 a.m. or involve spending hours guzzling bottles of fancy water (and dunking your face into an icy bowl of it), scrubbing your skin with a banana peel, or diving into a rooftop pool.
Still, you may be one of the hundreds of millions of people who enjoyed (and probably rolled your eyes at) the video of fitness trainer Ashton Hall’s elaborate morning routine that went viral recently and now has more than 741 million views on X. While many have speculated the video is marketing for the water brand or a gimmick, it’s understandable to be fascinated by glimpses into other people’s habits.
“For better or for worse, it is in our nature to compare ourselves to others,” says Raphael Wald, a neuropsychologist at Marcus Neuroscience Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida. “It is difficult for us as people to appreciate our successes without using others as a measuring tape.”
Many competing feelings can arise during social comparison: Envy, admiration, motivation, fear of missing out, validation, and social connection, says Bisma Anwar, a licensed therapist at Talkspace. But often, shame and inadequacy bubble up to the top, Wald says.
The video is the latest in a slew of other morning habits shared on social media, which are also racking up millions of views. Why are other people’s morning routines so fascinating? Here’s what psychology experts say.
Our long fascination with morning routines
People have been obsessed with how famous, successful figures spend their mornings for centuries. Benjamin Franklin wrote about his morning routine in his autobiography in the late 1700s, describing how he woke up at 5 a.m., set intentions for the day, read, and studied. In his 1854 book Walden, Henry David Thoreau discussed going for a swim during the “awakening hour.” These old-fashioned routines have even roused interest now; people in the present day are posting about their experiences trying, for instance, “The daily routine of the original OG Benjamin Franklin.”
Mornings are a “universal” experience, says Ben Bernstein, a clinical psychologist at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Conn. Everyone wakes up, gets dressed, and usually eats breakfast. Then, they go about their day, which is more unique.
“There’s a moment in time where people are doing similar things,” he says. It can feel predictable, so it’s often appealing to see how others spend that time.
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“We’re actually kind of living vicariously through that person: If we have a routine and we follow these steps, then life can be smooth and orderly and free of stress,” Bernstein says.
Research shows that morning routines are good for you—they can ease stress, increase energy, and improve productivity. Consistent sleep and wake-up times are connected with better mental health, and eating breakfast is correlated with overall health and daytime energy.
But routines should be personal and tailored to your needs and lifestyle, says Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a psychiatrist and sleep medicine physician and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. There’s no “secret sauce” for morning habits that will automatically help you become like someone you admire. Videos like Hall’s may be fun to watch, but Dimitriu urges taking them with “a grain of salt.”
Why mocking others’ morning routines makes us feel better about ourselves
Memes and parodies of Hall’s video have popped up poking fun at his pool plunge, blue-bottled water baths, and banana-peel facials.
Bernstein says that instinct is likely a defense mechanism. “We have to mock, because if we don’t, then we have to start feeling pretty bad about ourselves,” he says.
However, it’s crucial to note that much of what influencers post isn’t reality—most videos are highly edited and don’t show shortcomings or struggles, Wald says. “The desire to achieve this level of unattainable perfection is often what drives people to be fascinated by social-media celebrities.”
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Comparing yourself to ideals—even if it’s just someone with an impressive morning routine—can lead to disappointment and frustration, he says. It can distort your reality and harm your self-esteem, too, Anwar adds.
“These posts are designed to grab people’s attention by exaggerating perfection or drama to maximize engagement,” Anwar says. “They don’t reflect the full picture of anyone’s life.”
In reality, most people don’t keep a flawless morning routines—they wake up feeling exhausted, struggle to prepare their kids for school, or get stuck in traffic, Bernstein says. That’s important to keep in mind as you scroll social media.
“The more we consume the idealized versions of life, the less real our own lives feel by comparison,” he says. “We start to feel like we’re not really living the life we should or could have, and that’s to our detriment.”
