These days, most people wake up with the help of an alarm. Unlike past decades, though, most people today use their phones instead of an alarm clock for their wakeup call. It’s an automatic chain—silence the alarm, pick up the phone and start scrolling. A huge number of people start the day by checking email, texts, social media, and online news.
While it might be easy to start the day by reaching for your phone, it’s not necessarily the healthiest way to wake up. We’re becoming addicted to our screens, and today’s teens have never known a world without the Internet. In fact, studies show that 70% of teens check for messages as soon as they wake up. Adults aren’t too much better about adopting healthier morning routines.
So what can you do to resist the pull of your phone? Try these 5 alternatives and your mornings might get a whole lot better.
1. Tidy Up
It might not seem like a big deal to keep your house clean, but your environment has a big impact on how you feel. Clutter is stressful, and if you wake up to a mess, you may not feel motivated to get out of bed. So what to do when you wake up? Take a few minutes to tidy.
One great way to make your space feel neat and calm is by making your bed every day. Not only is it satisfying to get something done right away, but you’ll be less tempted to go back to bed and scroll through your feed. Plus, it’s a lot more pleasant at the end of the day to slip into a made bed than a messy one.
2. Fuel Up
One of the many things that’s better than looking at Twitter first thing in the morning is a tasty breakfast. Not only will fueling up give you something to do besides looking at your phone, but it will also give you a much-needed boost of energy and maybe even postpone your need for coffee.
When planning your breakfasts, try to choose something healthy, but tasty. If you want the motivation to get up and make breakfast first thing in the morning, it should be something you can look forward to that’s easy to prepare.
One good rule of thumb? Pair carbs with protein. Nuts, eggs, or yogurt with fruit or whole-grain cereals and breads are good choices.
3. Loosen Up
How good would it feel to get to work and realize that you’ve already crushed your workout for the day? Probably better than realizing you spent an hour on your phone instead.
Not only is there a great feeling of accomplishment that comes from a morning workout, but there are also real health benefits as well. You may consume fewer calories and burn more fat throughout the day, improve your sleep, and you might even lower your blood pressure.
4. Freshen Up
Waking up to a nice, warm shower is a great way to pamper yourself in the morning, and may make the allure of checking your phone less appealing. You can use the time to pamper yourself, meditate, and get ready for the day.
Showering in the morning has a lot of benefits for your skin, especially if it’s oily, combination, or acne-prone. Plus, if you decide to add a morning workout to your routine, you’ll be able to knock out some physical activity before freshening up for the day.
5. Buddy Up
If you share your home with an animal friend, then let them be your motivation in creating better morning habits. In your quest for wellness, your pet can support you in pursuing an emotional and physical balance.
Sometimes, it’s easier to do things for others than it is to motivate ourselves to create healthy habits for our own sake. So, start thinking about how your pet’s morning could be better if you didn’t start the day on your phone. Set a bargain with yourself not to check your notifications until you’ve walked or cuddled with your pet.
Waiting to Check Your Phone Sets You Up For Success
It might seem like a small thing to change the habit of checking your phone right after you wake up. But if you start substituting that behavior with one of the 5 more productive alternatives above, then you’re likely to see some positive changes.
By saving time in the morning, you’ll be less likely to feel rushed, and you won’t get sucked into the negativity the internet is famous for. Instead of giving your mornings to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and all the other distractions online, reclaim that time. Make mornings your time. Then go out and take on the world.