Our phone is usually the last thing we see before bed and the first thing we look at when we wake up. Whether it’s 20 minutes or a full hour, many of us have fallen into the habit of laying in bed longer than we need to so that we can doom scroll social media. Read on to learn positive ways to replace your morning scroll.
Our entire day is affected by how it starts. Imagine yourself in the state of rushing in the morning. Stress is high with cortisol pumping throughout the body. You are more forgetful and leave important stuff at home because you’re distracted by the minutes passing by. You’re messier as clothes are being thrown all over the place while trying to put together an outfit. Maybe you’re even speeding on the roads and driving more recklessly than if you had just been on time.
Not exactly the energy that you want to carry for the rest of your day. Gain a stronger sense of control over your time and make choices that encourage a more energetic, positive and productive day.
replace your morning scroll with exercise
Replace your morning scroll with an activity that you’ll feel better about. I’m all about sustainable routines, so try to start slow. If you set the expectation to go for a 3-mile run every morning you may get burnt out quickly. If your goals are too extreme you will be disappointed and discouraged when you can’t maintain the schedule. Try doing exercises at home so you don’t have to worry about driving anywhere. Start with a 25 minute session and increase the time as you make progress with consistency.
Push-ups, planks, squats and lunges are just a few simple body weight exercises you can do with no equipment required. Check out this website for 53 examples. Pick 4 or 5 and go through a circuit 3 to 4 times. As you gain strength you can add some resistance bands in the mix to increase the challenge.
yoga and meditation
Replace your morning scroll with something that warms up the joints and muscles before you get going for the day. Even just 25-min of yoga when you wake up can change your whole day by promoting mental clarity, productiveness, and reduced stress levels. Pair this with some controlled breathing exercises and you have a morning routine that benefits every organ of the body.
skin care routine
In a perfect world we wash our face in the morning and night. Acne can happen as a result of sweating during sleep or picking up impurities whether you’re at work or walking outside. I highly recommend adopting a frequent morning skin care routine. This should include a wash and sunscreen application for the day time. I then apply a overnight mask before bed.
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make a healthy breakfast
Replace your morning scroll with a more nutritious breakfast. Instead of grabbing something fast and processed give yourself time in the morning to prepare a nutritious meal.
Get a head start in the morning with a little food prep the night before. Chia seed pudding and overnight oats are great options that can offer some variety in flavor. With the extra time created you may be be able to sit and enjoy that breakfast instead of eating in the car.
Here is a list of healthy breakfast ideas that can be taken on the go.
make and/or pack a lunch
Same concept here. With an organized morning routine you are able to pack food for work, saving you money. When you bring your own food to work you have more control over what you eat, increasing the chances that you’ll eat something healthier than what you may have found for take out or in your work cafeteria.
give yourself more time to get ready
Get out of bed earlier and avoid the chaos of thrown clothes every where. No one likes to come home to that mess. One study of 60 dual-income couples found women living in cluttered and stressful homes had higher levels of cortisol (a hormone associated with stress) and heightened depression symptoms(3).
Being able to take your time in the morning is a luxury. You’d be surprised how much your day will change by just giving yourself a little wiggle room before you have to get anywhere in the morning.
make a to-do list for the day
I’m a big list person and it turns out there’s actually a proven psychological truth to it. The act of making a plan to do something is enough to decrease the anxiety about performing that task(1). Then once you make that magical checkmark in the square next to said task, the brain releases a nice boost of dopamine as a reward(2).
If you gain some extra time in the morning you can set a structure to your day by writing out a plan. This prevents you from having to keep the list in your head or figure it out on the fly. You’ll feel more organized while accomplishing more of what needs to get done.
other recommendations to improve your day
- go to bed earlier
- hit snooze less
- drink lots of water as soon as you wake up
- play music