MyHippocampus

If you are someone who is constantly on a journey of self-improvement, trying to eat healthy, get fit, acing it at work/home but on the verge of a burnout because you are trying to do so much, all at once, try this one simple habit that can literally change the tone of how you start your day!

Did you know that according to a research conducted by IDC, almost 80 per cent of smartphones users reach out for their phone before doing anything else. Yes, within the first 15 minutes of waking up, 4 out of 5 people check their phones.

Why not to check your phone the first thing after waking up

Checking your phone as soon as you wake up kicks you into alertness. We all are certainly familiar with the negative effects of blue light; exposing our eyes to blue light right after waking up does help us wake up instantly but in the long run it messes with our sleep cycle, cognition and mood.

There is substantial research to prove that checking your phone as soon as you get up makes you more stressed out, anxious and it makes difficult for us to prioritise tasks.

We already know the why, what we don’t know is the HOW! So here is how to start your day on a more relaxed and a fresh level.

How to stop 🛑

We do find a lot of evidence on the internet about how harmful it is yet there is not much information on how to actually put it into practice.

So here is what I did to put a stop to this habit, it is not at all scientific but successful from personal experience.

Set up a night routine.

To be really successful at setting up a morning routine, it is helpful if you already have a night routine in practice.

Establish a morning routine.

This is what you can do to distract yourself from your phone in the morning:

1. Practice oil pulling as soon as you get up. It is an ayurvedic practice which is excellent for oral health and benefits in issues like cavities, bad breath, inflammation etc.

2. Soak some fennel seeds at night and have it after your oil pulling. Fennel seeds improve hormone function and improve your eyesight.

3. Soak 5 almonds, 3 raisins and 1 walnut overnight and let it be the first thing that you eat. Peeling skin from almond will help you keep away from that phone.

4. Make yourself a nice cup of tea or brew a coffee and enjoy it in peace while making a mental map of your day plan. DON’T TOUCH THE PHONE!

5. Build up a habit of writing a journal or read the newspaper.

6. Practice Meditation. Do a few stretches.

7. Make your bed.

8. Tell Alexa to play some jazz music.

Make sure your morning routine includes activities that consume at least an hour of your time.

You will notice a sense of happiness and accomplishment right after an hour of waking up. It instills a sense of positivity and improves your mood, leading to a productive day!

Take care of your brain

It is very important for us to know that when we are asleep, our brain is in a relaxed state. As mentioned earlier, blue light triggers alertness, so when you expose your eyes to the screen, your brain is forced to snap from that relaxed state to a very alert state. This causes confusion and is harmful for your brain health.

So hope you set an intention tonight, prioritise yourself and promise that you will sleep in peace without worrying about the important emails or social media posts or WhatsApp messages.

There is nothing that cannot wait for 60 minutes!