Axios published this advice yesterday and I think it makes sense.
I was listening to the podcast “The TryPod,” when cohost Zach Kornfeld mentioned he had swapped checking his phone first thing in the morning for a game of pickleball. The switch had made his morning mood so much better, he said.
It seemed a passing comment, but it struck me. I had been waking up for a while with a sense of dread. Could stopping the morning scroll make a difference?
The next morning, I woke up and didn’t let myself open any of my apps until I had finished a walk with my dog.
Engaging in something in the real world (rather than the virtual) and feeling like you have power over your decisions can make a big difference, she said.
“You were then ready to start the day with some front-loaded positive emotions, which can translate into increased resilience, productivity, willingness to try new things and be more open to experiences,” Rutledge said. “It also makes you a lot nicer to be around.”
Cutting out social media and screen time altogether may be too much to ask. But little tweaks to how you use your phone –– such as not turning to it first thing in the morning –– can make a difference, experts said.
Going from sleep to your face in the phone is a difficult way to wake up, said Dr. Charlotte Armitage, psychologist at Be Device Wise, a UK-based program designed to teach students to reduce their screen time.
Phones emit blue light, which has been linked to the release of the stress hormone cortisol, she said.
“Cortisol makes the heart beat faster and can result in feelings of anxiousness,” Armitage added.
Not only does the light predispose you for a greater feeling of anxiousness in the morning, but the content on the phone also has the potential to overwhelm you, Armitage said.
Bad news, online conflict or an influx of information takes a lot of energy and mental resources, which you don’t need to expend immediately upon waking up, she added.
And because social media algorithms are designed to hold your attention, negative content that grabs you will keep getting pushed to you, Armitage said.
“In the morning, when you haven’t fully adjusted to the day, that kind of content can start you off on a negative footing for the day,” she added. “You can feel lethargic and apathetic when spending too much time online early in a morning.”
Read more. There’s wisdom here.
