5 Self-Care Habits to Replace Checking Your Phone First Thing In The Morning
REPURPOSE YOUR MORNING SCROLL AS TIME FOR SELF-CARE
There are many reasons why it’s easy to spend the first 15-30 minutes of your morning getting sucked into a scrolling abyss after turning off your alarm. During our time asleep, the world has continued turning and your notifications have continued to pile up. It is tempting to want to catch up first thing, we get it! We are all guilty of being slightly addicted to our devices. Smartphone functionality is designed to keep us engaged by giving us small bites of information in the form of notifications, alerts, texts, calls, etc. However, this ongoing stream of information and never-ending pings from notifications have exacerbated our short attention spans and have been known to heighten our anxiety and feelings of FOMO (fear of missing out).
Its not your fault you instinctively reach for your phone every morning, its a habit we have been trained to adopt. In fact, according to IDC Research:
80% of people look at their phones within the first 15 minutes of waking up. It's time we learn some tools to take back our valuable time.
Having an effective morning routine is critical in setting the tone for the rest of your day. According to a 2019 study,
having a routine that makes you feel good can promote productivity and confidence.
By giving yourself the time and attention you deserve, you are consciously committing to making yourself a priority.
It can be hard to make a morning routine without your phone, which is why you shouldn’t have an expectation that the first week you try that you won’t fall back into old habits. If you find yourself falling back into old phone’d patterns, the lilspace app can be a great resource in helping you to achieve your unplug goals by allowing you to set time-specific goals and tracking your minutes spent unplugged that you can then redeem for awesome rewards or donations to your favorite charities.
Instead of grabbing for your phone tomorrow morning, spend your time on yourself by practicing these self-care substitutions
Move Your Body
Instead of using your phone as an alarm, use an alarm clock or plug your phone in somewhere you have to physically get out of bed to turn it off. Moving your body in the morning promotes blood flow and truly helps wake you up in a positive way. Now that you are up, get your blood flowing by jumpstarting your heart with physical activity. Jumping jacks, or taking a walk around the block can help to wake you up and clear your mind.
Stretch it out
Stretching every morning helps to prepare your joints for any stress that might come up in the day and can help realign any problem areas you may have had from sleeping.
Practice Your Affirmations
Motivate your mind before it starts scrolling over your never-ending to-do list. Create daily affirmations that remind you of your strengths, goals and motivations. Some of ours are:
“I am strong.”
“I am a priority.”
“I am capable.”
“I am worthy of love, therefore I choose to love myself.”
“I will conquer this day.”
Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate!
Drink one full glass of water in the morning. Hydration is key to keep your body and mind healthy and happy.
The Most Important Meal of the Day
Preparing a hearty breakfast is another way to tell yourself that you are deserving, and a healthy and enjoyable way to stay off your phone while you prepare for your day.