CEOs are often known for having extreme sleep schedules. One takes this further by rising at 3:30 a.m.Stress management methods can range from strict workouts to long hours of meditation.”It’s what makes me superhuman,” a CEO said of his morning routine.
Thanks for signing up!
Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you’re on the go.
download the app
Running a company is a stressful job, especially if you’re running one of the biggest firms in the world. That high stress can lead to some intense and unconventional daily habits. Here are some of the most unusual routines of CEOs:1. Waking up at 3:30 a.m. and launching into a 90-minute workoutCEOs are known for waking up early: Tim Cook and Richard Branson both rise around 5 a.m.But Josh York, the 40-year-old CEO of in-home personal training company Gymguyz, takes it a step further and starts his mornings at 3:29 a.m., he told Fortune.After having a cold rinse in the shower, he launches into an hour-and-a-half workout followed by a three-minute ice bath.”It’s what makes me superhuman,” he told the outlet.2. Bob Iger prefers to work out in a dark room with the TV on mute
Disney CEO, Bob Iger.
Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
The CEO of Disney works out first thing in the morning in a darkened room, he says in his Masterclass on ‘Using your time effectively.’He keeps a TV on silent during his workout so he can watch it against the backdrop of his own choice of music.”It’s my most creative time in many ways,” Iger said.3. A teaspoon of Icelandic cod liver oil washed down with black coffee to start the dayMikael Berner, CEO of email software company Edison Software, starts his day with a dose of cod liver oil, a source of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, and vitamin D.
It’s meant to have benefits like promoting heart health and benefiting cells. Experts warn against taking more than one tablespoon daily to avoid consuming too much vitamin A.4. Or if you’re Elon Musk, your morning routine includes eating a doughnut
Elon Musk.
Taylor Hill/Getty Images
Tesla CEO Elon Musk opts for a sugary start to the day.A post on X declared that sugar is poison. Musk replied: “I eat a donut every morning. Still alive.”5. Mark Zuckerberg’s diet requires eating 4,000 calories a day
Mark Zuckerberg training MMA.
Photo by Mark Zuckerberg / Instagram
The Meta CEO previously said on Threads that he eats roughly 4,000 calories to offset his intensive MMA and jiujitsu training.Another popular diet with successful CEOs is only eating within specific time windows — intermittent fasting.6. Taking an afternoon nap in the officeRobin Zeng, whose role as CEO of the world’s largest EV battery manufacturing firm CATL makes him known as China’s “Battery King,” takes a daily nap at noon in the office, according to an interview with the FT.Some experts recommend short naps of between 20 and 30 minutes to improve focus and combat fatigue.7. Two hours of meditation a day
Jack Dorsey likes to meditate every morning.
Joe Raedle
Jack Dorsey, who runs financial services company Block, adhered to a strict wellness schedule that allowed him “just to stay above water,” when he was also CEO of Twitter. Each day involved walking five miles, meditating for two hours, and only eating one meal.Dorsey is a big proponent of mediation. For his birthday in 2018, he took part in a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation retreat where he meditated for nearly 17 hours each day”It’s extremely painful and demanding physical and mental work,” he said on a thread on Twitter at the time.8. “Eyes-open” meditation
Gwyneth Paltrow.
Rachel Murray/Getty Images for goop
Another fan of meditation is Gwyneth Paltrow, CEO of wellness brand Goop.She advocates “eyes-open” meditation, which involves being mindful at any moment in everyday life.”Once you learn how to do eyes-open meditation — something you can literally incorporate at any time — you can be engaged with the world but still very connected to yourself,” said previously told Business Insider. “I rely on it to feel more whole.”9. A massage just before midnightIf reading a book and meditating isn’t relaxing enough, Steven Barlett, a former CEO and founder famed for his Diary of A CEO podcast, calls for an 11 p.m. massage.”I often get massages in the evening — it sounds crazy, but usually my masseuse comes over at 11 p.m,” he told The Telegraph.10. A more unusual habit among CEOs, Tobias Lutke says he never works later than 5:30 p.m.While some CEOs brag about their long hours in the office and spending nights sleeping on the office floor, Shopify CEO Tobias Lutke previously said he never works later than 5:30 p.m.”The only times I worked more than 40 hours in a week was when I had the burning desire to do so. I need 8ish hours of sleep a night,” he said in a thread on Twitter, now X.
