Everyone has a morning routine. But yours probably doesn’t start before 4 a.m. or involve spending hours guzzling bottles of fancy water (and dunking your face into an icy bowl of it), scrubbing your skin with a banana peel, or diving into a rooftop pool.

Still, you may be one of the hundreds of millions of people who enjoyed (and probably rolled your eyes at) the video of fitness trainer Ashton Hall’s elaborate morning routine that went viral recently and now has more than 741 million views on X. While many have speculated the video is marketing for the water brand or a gimmick, it’s understandable to be fascinated by glimpses into other people’s habits.

“For better or for worse, it is in our nature to compare ourselves to others,” says Raphael Wald, a neuropsychologist at Marcus Neuroscience Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida. “It is difficult for us as people to appreciate our successes without using others as a measuring tape.”

Many competing feelings can arise during social comparison: Envy, admiration, motivation, fear of missing out, validation, and social connection, says Bisma Anwar, a licensed therapist at Talkspace. But often, shame and inadequacy bubble up to the top, Wald says.

The video is the latest in a slew of other morning habits shared on social media, which are also racking up millions of views. Why are other people’s morning routines so fascinating? Here’s what psychology experts say.

Our long fascination with morning routines
People have been obsessed with how famous, successful figures spend their mornings for centuries. Benjamin Franklin wrote about his morning routine in his autobiography in the late 1700s, describing how he woke up at 5 a.m., set intentions for the day, read, and studied. In his 1854 book Walden, Henry David Thoreau discussed going for a swim during the “awakening hour.” These old-fashioned routines have even roused interest now; people in the present day are posting about their experiences trying, for instance, "The daily routine of the original OG Benjamin Franklin.”