Daily constitutional walks
Consistently walked 1.5 miles to/from work regardless of weather, often extending routes for thinking time. Shown to boost creative problem-solving through transient hypofrontality brain state.
Extended nighttime sleep
Maintained 10+ hours nightly sleep supplemented by daytime naps. Prioritized sleep's role in cognitive consolidation over conventional work schedules.
Controlled spoon naps
Used metal spoon/plate alarm for 15-minute micro-naps. Technique prevented deep sleep while capturing hypnagogic creativity states.
Academic minimalism
Rejected salary increases & luxury possessions except violin/pipe. Maintained sparse living quarters to reduce cognitive load.
Temporal anchoring routine
Fixed daily schedule: 8AM breakfast, 10:30AM walk/work, 1PM lunch, 2PM nap, 4PM tea/work, 6:30PM dinner. Minimal deviation for 30+ years.
Barefoot intellectualism
Avoided socks/shoes when possible, wearing Elsa's slippers indoors. Believed physical comfort enhanced abstract thinking.
Pipe-assisted contemplation
Smoked 10+ daily pipefuls using reclaimed tobacco. Considered smoke rings essential for visualizing spacetime curvature.
Carb-loading cognition
Favored spaghetti/porridge over protein-heavy meals. Believed complex carbs provided steady mental energy without digestive strain.
Violin problem-solving
Played Mozart/Bach during thinking blocks. Used musical intervals to represent mathematical relationships.
Isolation sprints
Disappeared for weeks during intense theoretical work. Posted 'Do Not Disturb' signs in multiple languages during equation crunching.
Zurich journaling
Maintained numbered notebooks mixing equations, grocery lists & philosophical musings. Allowed cross-pollination between mundane and profound.
Socratic questioning
Jotted 'Why?' questions in margins of texts. Challenged assumptions through iterative inquiry rather than passive acceptance.
Academic cross-dressing
Wore Elsa's slippers and baggy sweaters despite public appearances. Rejected sartorial norms to conserve decision energy.
Tea time reflection
Observed strict 4PM tea ritual with plain biscuits. Used beverage preparation as metacognitive break between work blocks.
Relativity simplification
Practiced explaining complex concepts to children. Developed elevator thought experiments for public lectures.
Anti-materialism
Donated lecture fees and prizes to charities. Lived in rented homes despite global fame.
Peripatetic meetings
Conducted academic discussions while walking. Used kinetic energy to fuel debate intensity.
Doodle problem-solving
Drew abstract shapes in notebook margins. Used visual thinking to bypass linguistic limitations.
Window gazing
Scheduled 30-minute staring sessions. Believed ambient observation stimulated subconscious processing.
Tenacious iteration
Repeated equations hundreds of times with minor variations. Embraced failure as discovery mechanism.