I'm the creator of the Theragun. Here's a day in my life, starting with a morning mantra and ending with my 3-second trick to fall asleep.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dr. Jason Wersland, the founder and Chief Wellness Officer of Therabody, who lives in Los Angeles. This story has been edited for length and clarity.

On October 17, 2007, I was on the freeway, splitting traffic on my motorcycle. A car came out of nowhere, and I T-boned the side of a Volkswagen Jetta. I woke up on the road.

I had a lot of nerve damage in my neck that caused a ton of pain — so much that I couldn't move for two months. The next January, I fell asleep on a plane and couldn't move my neck, so the airline had to call an ambulance.

Examining my own pain, I came up with the idea for the Theragun: a device that delivers rapid pulses for a deep-tissue massage at home. By February 2008 — four months after my accident — I developed my first Theragun prototype.

Being a chiropractor, I asked around my network. I realized no one had ever created a handheld percussive therapy device like this before. It took another eight years to fully launch the product.

In 2020, we rebranded from Theragun to Therabody to incorporate other products.

Now, Therabody is a global brand in about 70 countries. We've worked with the Olympics and maintain relationships with celebrity athletes and top sports teams. We aim to make Therabody available to anyone who wants to feel better.

I live in Manhattan Beach, California, with my wife, but travel at least once a month for work. Here's a day in my life.

I start with a morning mantra and fresh spring water

I try to only set an alarm if it's crucial. Otherwise, I wake up around 6:15 a.m.

I have a mantra I repeat to myself as I roll my eyes and raise my eyebrows. I like to imagine the things that I want in my life and be grateful for what I have.

Once I get up, I drink eight ounces of water. I buy Alive Water, which is fresh, natural spring water delivered in reusable glass jugs. I can taste the difference.

My morning workouts include HIIT sessions and beachside runs

I like to get a really crazy workout in. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays, I do a HIIT workout with a personal trainer. It's usually an hour and 10 minutes.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I might do a home movement class, play tennis with my wife in the morning, or run sprint intervals on the beach. It's a good mix. Growing up, I never wanted to be stuck in one sport.

If I'm on the road, I usually know someone who can get me access to a gym or wellness space for a workout. Otherwise, I improvise. If I'm in Italy, I know there are lots of stairs, so I'll crank out a bunch of climbs on my way to the gym.

Meditation is a huge part of my routine

I usually end my workouts with about 30 minutes of meditation and breathwork.

Meditation has really helped me shut down the voices. Sometimes, we close our eyes, and the voices start coming: "You don't deserve that." Understanding that those voices aren't helping, that they're probably lying to you, has also helped a lot in being more intentional in my life.

Breakfast is a burrito, my favorite coffee, and my supplement stack

When I'm home, I usually have a breakfast burrito and coffee from a local coffee shop called the Two Guns Espresso.

If I'm in the office, I'll sometimes have a Perfect Bar. Then I take a handful of vitamins, including creatine, NAD+, omega, magnesium, and vitamins B and C.

I spend most of my time building the brand

I don't think I ever stop working.

We have multiple weekly meetings: one for design, one for innovation, and our executive meeting, which I always prepare for. In between, I'm catching up on emails and communicating with our science and education team.

I work with a lot of athletes, so that might look like getting NFL players ready for next season or building a Therabody recovery room for one of Europe's top soccer teams.

For lunch, protein comes first for me. Yellow curry chicken is my go-to at the office.

Scheduling walks to 'sharpen the saw'

I schedule time for myself to go for a walk at least once a day, for at least an hour and a half. Stephen Covey, who wrote "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," talks about "sharpening the saw."

For me, that means walking along the Strand running alongside Manhattan Beach. My son lives close by. Sometimes, I'll call him to meet me.

One of the biggest things I've learned is not to beat myself up about having downtime or slow days at work. There are days when you feel like you've conquered everything. Then all of a sudden, something happens to your car, and now you can't get to work. I think people think that's an obstacle to get over, but if you stop, you realize the universe is slowing you down for a reason.

When the universe needs a minute to catch up with me, I go to the spa and get massages. I like taking care of myself.

I unwind with my wife, sans phone

I end my day on the couch, sitting next to my wife, sometime around 8:30 or 9 p.m. I'm not on my phone. We're watching something like "The 'Burbs" or "Industry," we're catching up, and we're talking about what our days were like.

Conversations where you're not rushed and don't have an endpoint are really important to me. I have a great relationship with my parents; I'm on the phone with them at least once a week. These relationships make my life feel fulfilled, so I don't feel super lopsided.

I have a 3-second trick to fall asleep

I think it's really important to have a consistent sleep routine.

When I'm in town, I'm with my wife until around 10 p.m. Then I go to my bedroom and get the things I need, walk back, and kiss my wife.

I do some light breathing and gratitude exercises, like a big breath in. I'm thankful my kids are healthy and happy. Big breath out.

I have a process I use to help me fall asleep. I take a deep breath and let my heart rate slowly come down. I usually joke and tell my wife, "Babe, 3, 2, 1 — I'm about ready to go to sleep, if you have any last words."

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