Albert Einstein's Daily Routine
Fit a walk and a nap into a serious working day. Albert Einstein walked to work at 10:30 AM, worked until 1:00 PM, then lunched and napped.
By Colin PaceUpdated
Overview
Albert Einstein developed the theory of relativity and won the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics. His sleep schedule at Princeton had a nap built into it: lunch at 1:30 PM, then a nap, then tea.
Mason Currey sets out the day in Daily Rituals (2013). Mornings started slowly, with breakfast and the papers from 9:00 to 10:00 AM, then at 10:30 AM he walked to the Institute for Advanced Study and worked until 1:00 PM. The afternoon went to more work and his letters, and after supper at 6:30 PM he worked again. He walked with Kurt Gödel and played the violin.
This is the one to try if your days are productive but joyless. You get 3 sittings of real work with walks, a nap, tea and music between them, and proof that rest can live inside a serious day. The 11:00 PM bedtime, the nap's length and the violin hour are our estimates.
Who's it for
At a glance
- 9 hr 30 min sleep per night
- 49 hr work per week
- 4 meals per day
- 11 hr eating window
- 7 hr movement per week
- 7 hr play per week
Sleep
70 hours/week9 hr 30 min per night30 min nap
- Every day11:00 PM → 8:30 AM· 9 hr 30 min
- Nap2:30 PM · 30 min· Every day
Work
49 hours/week7 hr a day4 hr research3 hr admin
- Research11:00 AM → 1:00 PM· 2 hr · Every day
- Admin3:30 PM → 6:30 PM· 3 hr · Every day
- Research7:30 PM → 9:30 PM· 2 hr · Every day
Eat
24.5 hours/week4 meals13:11 eating window3 hr 30 min eating
- Breakfast9:00 AM → 10:00 AM· 1 hr · Every day
- Lunch1:30 PM → 2:30 PM· 1 hr · Every day
- Snack3:00 PM → 3:30 PM· 30 min · Every day
- Dinner6:30 PM → 7:30 PM· 1 hr · Every day
Off
Move
7 hours/weekWalk 10:30 AMWalk 1:00 PM
- Walk10:30 AM → 11:00 AM· 30 min · Every day
- Walk1:00 PM → 1:30 PM· 30 min · Every day
Play
7 hours/weekInstrument 9:30 PM
- Every day9:30 PM → 10:30 PM· 1 hr