Jeff Bezos swears by neuroscience-backed one-hour rule that he says makes him smarter

We always hear about the non-stop days of tech moguls, but what are the tricks they actually use to stay on top of their workload?

Cold showers, meditation, and health fads are all well known, but these are often things that the average person either can't or doesn't exactly want to do.

Amazon's founder and current executive chairman Jeff Bezos is currently the second richest man in the world, and has increased his wealth significantly in recent weeks - so he must be doing something worth copying, right?

Well, it's recently been revealed that he follows the same neuroscience-backed one-hour rule every single day, and he's even roped his fiancée Lauren Sánchez into it too.

Bezos and Sánchez have been together since 2019 (Cindy Ord/MG24/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

While he's known for intense practices - some of which involved urging his employees to wake up drenched in sweat - his one rule is actually focused on relaxation with one hour every single morning dedicated to 'puttering time'.

This, in simple terms, involves waking up with ease, 'puttering' around the house just after you get out of bed by grabbing a coffee, walking around slowly, and talking with his family.

Speaking to People, Sánchez details that her "favorite part of the day is the morning, I love waking up."

"I make myself a cup of coffee. I make Jeff a cup of coffee, and we kind of have this magic moment where it's just us talking."

One crucial aspect of this 'puttering time' though is the absence of phones, which Sánchez reveals was of high importance to Bezos.

There's definitely something in this though, as neuroscience research has shown that reaching for our phones just after waking up isn't healthy for the brain.

Outside of the fact that you're shining a bright light in your face seconds after waking up, using your phone in the morning runs the risk of skipping the 'daydreamy' theta brain waves to more active alpha waves designed to help you remain calm, as detailed by Science Direct.

Instead, your brain is more likely to jump straight to the delta stage, which focuses on making you alert for the day.

We should probably spend less time looking at our phone in the morning (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

You might feel more awake straight away, but you're missing out on key brain functions and rhythms that'll help you stay healthy and focused throughout the day.

It's definitely something to consider - especially if it works for someone as successful as Bezos - and in our screen-obsessed world we could maybe all do with some time away from our phones.

It's only an hour after all: that tweet, Reddit post, or Instagram photo can wait until you're done waking up.