How to digital detox and go phone-free in the AM

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

I’m going to take a guess and assume that you check your phone. No judgment, because that’s what most of us are habituated to do, almost by instinct. We turn over to our nightstands and grab our phones with our eyes half-shut every single morning, even if it’s just to check the time or switch off the alarm.

Some stop at that, but many of us continue to use our phones in that half asleep state — we respond to messages and emails, check social media notifications, and soon enough we’re lying in bed for 25 minutes mindlessly scrolling through our phones. And here’s why this is a problem: studies show that phone usage first thing in the morning has a detrimental impact on our quality of productivity, as well as our physical and mental health. To put this into perspective with a slightly alarming statistic, about 80% of smartphone users reach for their phones within the first 15 minutes of waking up!

Checking your phone first thing in the morning, before your body and mind truly have had a chance to naturally wake up, jolts our brains into high stress. Social media has been found to cause feelings of worry, anxiety, and irritability, and also weakens our immune system. We undo all the positive effects of a restful night’s sleep, and set up how we’ll spend the rest of the day — instead of focusing on forward thinking, we play catch up with every thing we missed while we were asleep, comparing ourselves to others on social media, and start the day on the back foot. We wake up grumpy, irritable, more likely to make unhealthy food choices, and feel distracted throughout the day.

Instead of reaching for your phone in the morning, digital detox and start your day with another activity. Dedicate that precious morning time to something that will boost your mood, health, or productivity to set the right tone for the day. Now, we know how hard it can be to kick your smartphone habit, so we’ve outlined a few ways that may help you make the change.

How to limit your phone usage and digital detox in the AM to reclaim your day:

Get an alarm clock

When you use your phone to set an alarm, it’s so much easier to switch apps and start scrolling. Use an alarm clock to remove that temptation of looking through your phone as soon as you wake up.

Put your phone on airplane mode

If you can’t bring yourself to keep your phone in another room, at least put it on airplane mode.This way, you’ll mute all notifications and eliminate distractions that could impede sleep throughout the night, and won’t wake up with glaring reminders from social media interactions as soon as you wake up. You can also turn off push notifications to keep that distracting reminder at bay.

Do a quick stretch / workout

Before checking your phone, get in a quick stretch even if you don’t normally workout in the mornings. It’ll get your blood circulation moving, and help you start the morning on an energetic positive note.

Get ready

Shower, get ready for work, clean up or get any other quick chores done.

Gratitude journal

Spend a few minutes writing out what you’re grateful for. Studies show that this simple practice of giving daily gratitude can work wonders on our mind and bodies — it relieves stress, and helps us foster mindfulness. Set an intention for the day, or write out a positive affirmation, as all of these rituals are grounding and sets the tone for the day.

Make a delicious breakfast

Once you’ve nourished the mind, it’s time for the body. Cook yourself a delicious breakfast that you can sit down and enjoy while reading the newspaper or a book, listening to a podcast, or even speaking with loved ones. We tend to scroll through our phones when we have nothing else to do, so keeping yourself occupied is a good way to limit phone usage.

Plan your day

Go over your to-do list, organise meetings and work, and just plan your day to get ahead and ready to tackle everything that comes your way.

Finally, once you’re done with all your morning activities, turn to your emails and messages to get started for the day.

Try it out: Instead of picking up your phone, pick up one of these tips and try it for a week. You don’t have to do them all — start small, and with what works for you because that’s what you’ll stick to. Notice if it makes a difference to the way you approach your day. Tell us how it goes!

WELLNESS