It’s not really a surprise that we can’t resist that tiny thing that gives us the world at our fingertips. News, emails, games, Reddit, social media, apps galore – our smartphones are like an interactive "Mary Poppins" bag, but is swiping, scrolling, and double tapping really the best start to your day?
Did you know -- You are vulnerable af when you first wake up? Your logical “thinking” pieces of the brain take a while to fully function and fire all cylinders. This means that you are terrible at making decisions, you struggle to handle new information, and problem solving skills are still on snooze for about 60 minutes from when you first open those heavy eyelids.
If you open apps that contain your emails or to-do lists within the first hour of waking up, you risk triggering anxiety – which will limit your morning judgement even more and increase your already surging cortisol levels to unhealthy levels which will impact your heart health if repeated over time. Double ugh.
Studies recommend that you consider moving “anxiety trigger” apps away from your home screen. Fill “prime spots” with apps that offer uplifting content – even a morning meditation app that allows you 5 minutes each day to breath before getting out of bed can make a world of difference. Save the other stuff to pair with your morning coffee once you've had a "moment" to "rise and shine".
Wakey, Wakey: A US survey conducted showed that the following were the most frequented apps checked while still in bed.
- 10% Games
- 11% News Updates
- 17% Other (banking, photos, music, etc)
- 31% Emails
- 31% Social Media