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Hey {{ first name | there }}! Welcome back to The Flow by Flocus. If you’re new around here, welcome! 👋 You can catch up on our previous editions right here.
This week: Seen the “morning brain stack” trend making the rounds on socials lately? It piqued our interest, so we’re digging into it this week! What it is, things to keep in mind when trying it, plus some tweaks and alternatives to make it work better for you.
🥞 What’s a Morning Brain Stack?
The basic concept of the morning brain stack is simple:
It’s a collection of nourishing activities and rituals to “warm up” your brain soon after waking up to help ease you into the day.
What makes the “morning brain stack” different from other productivity trends:
📚 On socials, it usually involves a literal stack. While there are, of course, devices in the mix, a lot of people’s stack videos include physical books, journals, and planners.
🧠 There’s a focus on cognitive health, wellness, resilience, and fortitude. Many morning stacks you’ll see include games, puzzles, and similar activities that have real benefits for your brain and body.
☕️ It includes the morning “startup rituals” you’re already following. Like the time you spend on things like stretching, getting dressed, and brewing a bevvy.
There’s lots to love about the idea of the morning brain stack. Putting your self-care and mental wellbeing first each day is a worthwhile aspiration. Plus, mornings can be so stressful that most of us would welcome anything that takes the edge off.
In fact, it sounds almost too good to be true, right? Kinda like a lot of other productivity trends.
Sadly, the morning book stack has got the same social media treatment as some of the other fads we’ve covered. Let’s explore some of the pricklier parts of this approach.
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🚧 Potential Issues With Trends Like the Morning Stack
We’re not gonna lie, friends: We got totally sucked in by the clips of people’s morning brain-stacks on socials.
Why? Because they’re relatable, inspiring, and super aesthetic.
And look, there’s nothing wrong with sharing tips on designing a life that’s both productive and visually appealing. (After all, we are an aesthetic productivity app!)
But there are some pitfalls to watch out for:
🔑 If you want to try the morning brain stack, keep in mind…
😵💫 …there’s a fine line between “being inspired” and “mindlessly scrolling”.
(As we found out while researching for this newsletter!) Watching other people’s productivity rituals, in itself, has a calming effect that’s a little addictive.
The tricky part is, you can easily spend more time observing than actually applying what you’ve watched to your own life. Especially since the “doing” part takes a lot more effort!
🤳 …getting clear on your motivation for stacking is important.
What’s most appealing to you about this trend: Adding calm to your mornings? Recording your own content to contribute to the hashtags? A mix of both? Something else?
Your answer can impact how effective the method is for your overall sense of balance and wellbeing.
😬 …the internet is full of lies, half-truths, and omissions.
Don’t believe everything you consume. If something feels off, it likely is. No need to engage further if you’re dubious or doubtful about any of the stacks you see. (Not everyone’s 24 hours are created equal.)
On this last note, what would a less shiny, more realistic morning brain stack look like? Scroll on for some fresh takes on the trend.
🤏 Tweaks for the Morning Brain Stack
As is true for all productivity methods, your mileage may vary with this one, too. A few ideas to make it work better for you!
🤹 Have multiple stacks for busy days: Those hour-long stacks you’ll see on socials are likely “weekend” or “free-time” stacks. Brainstorm some variations of your stack for Monday and Friday mornings, when time and energy are more scarce. Doing a crossword on your phone during your morning bus commute counts!
🌙 Do it at night (or another time of day) instead: Seems obvious, but not everyone’s mornings are free to spend doing puzzles. We actually prefer winding down in the evenings with a game of sudoku or freecell solitaire as part of our bedtime routines.
🌇 Switch up the scenery: A lot of videos on the morning brain stack are filmed at a desk, but we’ve also seen folks stacking at the library, local cafe, neighborhood park, and other mentally stimulating locales.
🫀 Listen to your body and follow its lead: If you didn’t sleep well or you’re in pain, it’s okay to take things slow, or skip the stack altogether. You can also abandon an activity if you need to. Losing concentration while playing a game is a sign to put down the stack and get some rest.
🧸 Make it comfy and convenient: Sitting at a desk and using your brain before a long day of work or classes may not be your idea of a relaxing morning. (Totally fair!) So try something that feels fun, cozy, or even indulgent instead.
If you’re keen to try this method, here’s a goal to aim for:
When you reflect on each day (no matter when or how you choose to stack), you’ll be proud of yourself for prioritizing your health, mental elasticity, and sense of balance.
If you don’t feel that way right away, it’s okay; give it some time. And remember, we’re proud of you regardless! 📣🥳
🪅 Flocus Picks
A curated list of things worth sharing.
“brain stack” Reels on Instagram (Videos) — The full feed of top IG Reels about the morning stack, if you need inspo or visuals; just remember what we said earlier in this newsletter about glittery internet content!
How Brain Games Boost Memory & Attention (Article) — Some professional insights on the science behind the morning brain stack
gothic / horror lofi (Playlist) — The perfect vintage, noir-coded mix for your spooky season shenanigans
✨ Flocus: Your Personal Productivity Dashboard
However you stack your mornings, it helps to land somewhere calm when you start. Flocus gives you a distraction-free dashboard with your tasks, timers, and sounds in one place, so your day starts on your terms.
🗳️ POLL: What does your morning actually look like?
What are your thoughts on the morning brain stack? Ever tried a social media productivity trend like this one? Sound off in the polls and replies (we read them all!)
Until next Sunday,
Flocus Team
