Why You Should Stop Checking Your Phone First Thing in the Morning
It’s Saturday morning, my favorite day of the week.
I awake to the warm sunlight pouring over my skin. I’m laying in my California king bed underneath my feather-filled duvet nestled up with my sweet + cute pup. After cuddling for a few minutes, I decide I’m ready to get up and see the goodness that my day will hold.
As I arise from my bed I feel the warm, faux sheepskin rug between my toes and grab my fuzzy sherpa robe before heading to the kitchen to mindfully grind my coffee beans for my pour over.
What a morning routine, am I right? Unfortunately, this is rarely ever my actual routine, and I know I’m not alone in this. A study from IDC Research found that roughly 80% of smartphone users check their devices within 15 minutes of waking up each morning.
If I don’t take charge, my morning goes something like this:
I awake to my iPhone alarm and decide to let the blue light of my screen pore over my skin. Yes, I’m still nestled in my California king bed with my pup, but instead of focusing on her warmth and my gratitude for a fresh new morning, I am bombarded & altogether consumed with the information I am reading on my phone.
I am drawn to the blue light of my iPhone screen like a mosquito drawn to a bug zapper, unaware of the danger that is about to ensue.
It’s not enough for me to simply view new text messages I missed while I was asleep. I rush to check Instagram and my 2 different email accounts. TikTok, Facebook, why not? The effects of dopamine are real. If you want to learn more about social media and dopamine, read our past blog post here.
The differences in my day are drastic depending on my morning rhthym, and here is the science to back it up.
Our brains are constantly creating bursts of electrical activity in order for our neurons to communicate with one another. Brain wave activity occurs when our brains create these electrical bursts.
We have 5 different types of brain waves:
Gamma
Beta
Alpha
Theta
Delta
When we first wake up in the morning, our brain waves move states. Delta waves, which occur during a deep sleep state, switch to theta waves, which occur during a relaxed state of mind and are essential to rejuvenation and healing. Following theta waves, the brain then moves to produce alpha waves. This is when we are awake and relaxed, not processing much information or overwhelming our senses.
But if you, like me, tend to want to grab your phone first thing in the morning, you essentially force your brain to move from the important theta and alpha stages to the beta stage, which occurs when we are wide awake and alert. Your morning routine is then hijacked.
You will likely notice yourself feeling stressed and on edge. This is because you moved on from your chance to relax in order to occupy yourself with other people’s thoughts and activity via your social media platforms and email accounts.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
What to do instead of checking your phone first thing in the morning:
First off, we recommend charging your phone away from your bed. This allows you to limit your access to it first thing in the morning. We have used a variety of alarm clocks instead of our smartphones!
Spend a few minutes journaling. Allow yourself to engage in nonjudgmental free flow, writing out whatever is on your mind. If you’re more of a prompt person, try these out. If you’re looking for fresh guided journaling prompts on a regular basis, check out the Collective.
Get moving. It doesn’t matter whether you thrive in low or high intensity workouts; what matters is that you are moving your body. Find something that gets you excited about starting the day.
Take some deep breaths. One of the most powerful aspects of breath work is its unique ability to quiet the mind and create space in your day to day activities. Try out some different breathing methods, like box breathing or cadence breathing.