Checking your phone immediately after waking? Psychologist suggests how to break this habit with 6 healthy alternatives

If you are starting your morning by scrolling, try these healthier alternatives to break the phone-first habit and begin your day calmly.

After waking up, has reaching for your phone become an instinct? What begins as quickly switching off the alarm turns into scrolling? Before you have even started the day, your mind is already switched on and overstimulated. Can this phone-first habit begin your day on a compromised note?

We asked a psychologist whether this habit can affect your mental state. Mehezabin Dordi, clinical psychologist at the Department of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine at Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital, confirmed that checking your phone immediately after waking may affect your state of mind. She believed it may increase cortisol levels, as you are suddenly exposed to a flurry of messages, emails, and feed updates. So, what is the fix? She identified a few ways to break this habit.

Why should you keep your phone away when you wake up?

Mehezabin also shared a case from her practice to outline the benefits of not checking the phone early in the morning."A professional who is 30 years old would spend about 30 minutes checking her phone upon waking up, resulting in feeling rushed and preoccupied. This habit was swapped for a 20-minute daily morning routine of hydrating, stretching, and organizing herself before checking her phone. After some weeks, she stated feeling more relaxed, organized, and not being tempted to check her phone unnecessarily.”

Which healthy practices help to break phone-first habits?

Hydrate yourself and drink water after you wake up.

You need to replace the troubling habit of checking your phone the first thing in the morning with something productive. Mehezabin shared these healthier options, which, according to her, have been backed up by psychological and health research:

1. Hydration: Consuming a glass of water will restore fluids that were depleted overnight and will start your day with a healthy habit.
2. Sunlight exposure: Being outside or next to a window for 5-10 minutes will reset your circadian rhythms, resulting in increased alertness during the day and better sleep at night.
3. Physical activity: Stretching, doing yoga, or walking around will increase blood flow, make you less stiff in the morning, and increase the production of feel-good neurotransmitters.
4. Meditation or deep breathing: Practicing deep breathing for 5 minutes will decrease your stress levels and impulsive actions throughout the day.
5. Listing tasks or gratitude: Noting three things that you need to do that you are thankful for will increase your focus and make you engage in purposeful activities rather than mindless scrolling.
6. Mindful consumption of tea or coffee: Savoring a morning beverage, listening to the birds singing, or being aware of your own body is part of developing present moment awareness.

If your phone is such a major distraction and you find it difficult to resist checking it, the expert suggested some practical tips: Switch to a regular alarm clock or place your phone outside your bedroom to keep it out of reach. Of course, this does not mean eliminating phone use entirely. She only cautioned against using it early in the morning, immediately after waking up.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.