A morning routine that skips the YouTube rabbit hole

Quick answer

The first thing a lot of us do is grab the phone. Check one thing, then YouTube, then it's 8:40. One person left their phone by the bed for once, did their whole routine, checked the time expecting 8:45, and it was 7:58.

What 125x is: 125x is a web app at 125x.app. You connect your YouTube subscriptions, and it gives you a feed of the latest videos from the channels you follow, each with a summary: a verdict, the 5 key takeaways, and the spoiler, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips. You read that and decide what's actually worth opening.

Here's how to get that every morning.

What people do instead

• Get up, make the bed, make coffee, look out the window.
• Get outside for 10 to 15 minutes. Lay your shoes out the night before.
• Journal a few lines: what's on your mind, what today needs.
• Move for 5 minutes. Stretch, push-ups, anything.
• Read a few pages of a paper book.
• Check notifications only for anything urgent, then put the phone face down.

Make it easy

• Phone charges outside the bedroom. Use an alarm clock or a wake light.
• Charge the phone in the morning so it's stuck on the charger while you start your day.
• Decide your first 3 tasks the night before.

When YouTube comes back in

Save it for a set slot later in the day. If you like a morning video, pick it the night before and watch only that one. See time blocking YouTube.

How 125x fits

If you like knowing what your channels posted, read the 125x feed at lunch. It's a few minutes with a verdict on every video, and it stays out of your morning.

FAQ: questions people ask

What should I do in the morning instead of my phone?

Get outside, move a little, journal a few lines, and read. Keep the phone in another room until you've started your day.

How do I stop checking my phone first thing?

Charge it outside your bedroom and use a regular alarm clock or wake light.

Is it OK to watch YouTube in the morning?

If you pick one video the night before and stop after it, sure. The trouble is open-ended scrolling.

Related guides

• Doomscrolling YouTube at 1 AM? How to Stop
• Get More Done With Less Screen Time: 10 Real Tips
• Deep Work and YouTube: Protect Your Focus Hours
• Time Block YouTube: Give It a Slot in Your Day
• Every 125x guide

125x is a web app at 125x.app that turns your YouTube subscriptions into a feed with a summary on every video, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips, so you can see what's worth opening before you spend the time.

125x is made by Blake Labs Inc. 125x is not made by YouTube or Google.