Oura Health CEO Tom Hale recently shared his daily routine, revealing that he naturally wakes up at 5 am without an alarm. He offered a glimpse into his typical schedule, detailing how he structures his day.
In an as-told-to essay reported by Business Insider, the exec shared, “I wake up around 5 a.m. every day without an alarm. The first thing I do is check my Oura Ring. I want to know how I slept and how I'm set up for the day.” However, he added that he sometimes wakes up earlier than that.
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“When the business is going well, I sleep until 5 a.m. When it's not, I wake up at 3:30 a.m. and try to get back to sleep.”
How does he schedule his day?
Hale explained that after waking up, he takes a shower and does breathing exercises around 5:30 am to start his day. However, he explained, “Sadly, it's the first thing that drops off when I'm pressed for time or dealing with a crisis.”
{{/usCountry}}Hale explained that after waking up, he takes a shower and does breathing exercises around 5:30 am to start his day. However, he explained, “Sadly, it's the first thing that drops off when I'm pressed for time or dealing with a crisis.”
{{/usCountry}}He continued, “By 6 am, I'm showered, shaved, and ready to start the day. The data I receive first thing in the morning from the company stats, news, and overnight events from Finland, where a good portion of our company is based, affects how my day goes, whether it's bad news, good news, or both.”
He then checks his email and takes his supplements. He doesn’t eat breakfast as he does intermittent fasting.
By 6:30 am, he gets ready for work and walks to his office. “I walk to work every day. It takes me half an hour, and I end up climbing a couple of pretty steep hills. During the walk, I'll listen to podcasts or take calls from my team,” the CEO told the outlet. He added that if he is on a trip, he prefers to go for a run or walk around.
“Most stressed”
Hale revealed that by 8 am, the most anxious and stressful part of his day begins. “The first thing I do when I get to the office is make a list in one of my accounting notebooks. Every time I cross something off, I feel like I'm making progress against whatever the challenge of the day is.”
The CEO shared an interesting tidbit: during all-hands meetings, he discusses sections titled "Keeping Me Up at Night" and "Helping Me Sleep Soundly” with his colleagues.
After that, he immerses himself completely in work and has two meals at noon.
“I eat my first meal at my desk around noon. I usually order a meal from Proper Food and rotate between two orders: a salad with chicken or salmon on rice with teriyaki sauce. After lunch and during the day, I take five-minute breaks to walk around the office. We have an outdoor deck and a bocce ball court where you can get some steps in.”
“Most productive period”
The CEO told the outlet that he gets a lot done between 5 pm and 7 pm. “I send proactive emails, flag what we need to focus on, and schedule the rest for when I get enough information to make a decision. I usually leave the office between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and walk home.”
“Evenings for family”
His evening routine includes eating dinner with his wife, cooking with her, and then reading or watching TV together.
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“My wife and I go to bed around 8:30 pm or 9 pm,” the CEO said, adding, “I put on a sleep mask and earplugs, keep the room dark, and take magnesium and melatonin before bed.”
How does his weekend look?
The CEO shared with the outlet, “On weekends, I like to go for walks with friends. I also go for runs with my dogs. I have two large poodles. They're a handful. The most important thing I do on the weekends is spend time with my family. Sometimes we do separate activities in the same room, or we play backgammon together. I also play guitar, but that's when I want to enjoy some alone time.”
When did he become the CEO?
“I became the CEO of Oura in March 2022. We make the Oura Ring, a smart ring that delivers personalised health data and insights to help people live more balanced lives,” Hale told the outlet.