October 01, 2020Goal-setting
Why you should implement screen-free mornings
Admit it. Is checking your mobile phone the first thing you do when rolling out of bed in the morning?
It’s a habit that many of us have. Whether it’s simply to turn off the alarm, to check the weather, or to look for an anticipated email, many of us are reaching for our screens as soon as our eyes open. Unfortunately, it usually doesn’t stop with our initial intention and before we know it, the first twenty minutes of our day have been spent scrolling.
When checking your phone first thing in the morning, you are setting yourself up to be distracted for the rest of the day. Dr. Julie Morgenstern wrote a book called "Never Check Email in the Mornings" and she claims that your brain simply cannot “recover” after checking your phone right when you wake up.
Dr. Morgenstern implores that notifications can wait till later in the morning and a winning morning routine involves mindfulness and intentionality. If possible, consider leaving your phone away from your bedroom or nightstand so you aren’t tempted to check it first thing.
Creating a screen free routine in the mornings will boost productivity, and it may also lead to more happiness and satisfaction overall. Like all not so great habits, it may take some time to distance yourself from your dependence on your screen. Set reasonable goals and work your way up to an entire hour without your phone in the mornings a little at a time.
Check out our range of gratitude journals and productivity goal planners to get started.
It’s a habit that many of us have. Whether it’s simply to turn off the alarm, to check the weather, or to look for an anticipated email, many of us are reaching for our screens as soon as our eyes open. Unfortunately, it usually doesn’t stop with our initial intention and before we know it, the first twenty minutes of our day have been spent scrolling.
Is it really all that bad to look at your screen first thing in the morning?
Many studies have started to show the negative impacts of increased phone usage anytime of the day, but when you kick off your morning with your screen, it makes it even more likely that you will continue to compulsively scroll for hours to come.When checking your phone first thing in the morning, you are setting yourself up to be distracted for the rest of the day. Dr. Julie Morgenstern wrote a book called "Never Check Email in the Mornings" and she claims that your brain simply cannot “recover” after checking your phone right when you wake up.
Dr. Morgenstern implores that notifications can wait till later in the morning and a winning morning routine involves mindfulness and intentionality. If possible, consider leaving your phone away from your bedroom or nightstand so you aren’t tempted to check it first thing.
What can you do instead?
The morning is a great time for goal setting and thinking about how you would like your day to go. You can use the time to reflect and write in your gratitude journal or set intentions for your day in a productivity planner. Finding a quiet place to sit and meditate or focus on your breathing can be an incredibly powerful way to begin each day.Creating a screen free routine in the mornings will boost productivity, and it may also lead to more happiness and satisfaction overall. Like all not so great habits, it may take some time to distance yourself from your dependence on your screen. Set reasonable goals and work your way up to an entire hour without your phone in the mornings a little at a time.
Check out our range of gratitude journals and productivity goal planners to get started.
