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?
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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.
The psychologist recommended,“The best way to start would be to allocate a period of 15 to 30 minutes when your phone should not be around right after you wake up.” A brief phone-free moment after you wake up ensures your mind gets time to adjust without being bombarded by notifications. When you keep the phone physically away, then the expert noted, you are also less likely to pick it up to scroll.
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.”
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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.
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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:
