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Mornings are a source of good vibes and have the potential to make or break the entire day. However, it is important to choose the right way to start the morning, as one wrong habit or act can affect the day’s productivity and significant mental health.
Using your phone first thing in the morning, skipping breakfast and not expressing gratitude may seem like small things, but can wreak havoc in the long run. These seemingly harmless habits not only affect your physical health but can also trigger anxiety, lower self-esteem, and leave you emotionally drained.
To make the most of your morning, here are five habits to avoid incorporating into your routine for better mental and physical health.
1. Reaching for Phone First Thing in the Morning
Instilled as the new normal, most of us check our phones as soon as we open our eyes. However, this seemingly important chore leads our eyes from the direct resting phase to a stressful one. The extra light, effect of breaking news in the morning can add to feelings of distress.
Why is it Bad?
You wake up and respond to what is outside of you rather than listening to your thoughts and feelings. This will make you overwhelmed, distracted or even discouraged.
Alternative Action:
The first 30 to 60 minutes of the day, put your phone in a ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode. Make use of that period to practice meditation, stretching, journaling, or even drinking your coffee in silence. These practices allow you to achieve a sense of calm and give a more centred state of mind.
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2. Skipping Breakfast or Grabbing Something Unhealthy-1752148722693.jpg)
Skipping breakfast or taking refined, sugary food as your breakfast not only harms your body but also negatively affects your mood and ability to think clearly. A poor morning diet may result in low blood sugar, thus affecting the energy level, concentration, and control of the mood.
Why is it Bad?
Your brain requires nutritional food. Without essential nutrients like healthy fats and proteins, stress is difficult to control, and can lead to irritability, tiredness and emotional issues.
Alternative Action:
Begin with a well-rounded breakfast containing high protein, fibre and healthy fats. Things like eggs and whole-grain toast, oatmeal and fruit and nuts, or a spinach, banana and protein smoothie. The brain is happy once it is well-fed.
3. Not Having a Consistent Routine
Waking up late, after a late night binge-watching, can lead to rushed mornings. This inconsistency can lead to skipping breakfast. Moreover, this habit, when continued for long, can trigger cortisol (stress hormone) and remain in a reactive state of mind throughout the day. Once you start the day playing catch-up, it is hard to feel calm and collected.
Why is it Bad?
Emotional imbalance creates havoc at the beginning. You can be irritable, scattered or tense even before you start work or see someone.
Alternative Action:
Set the alarm clock up to 20-30 minutes earlier and develop a margin between waking up and heading out. Go in a little early and get a calm activity in first, taking a short walk, taking some deep breaths, or even taking time to have a little quiet moment. This reduces the agility and makes you feel in charge.
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4.Negative Self-Talk Thoughts
What you think in the morning reflects on the way you feel. Thinking that you are late, and that today will be horrible, or that you hate your job, as you open your eyes in the morning, may put you in a mental hole. Such thoughts are mostly left unchallenged, but what they influence largely is your mood, energy and motivation.
Why is it Bad?
Constant self-doubting thoughts lead to mounting anxiety, low confidence and even cause depressive thinking.
Alternative Action:
Unlearn the bad commentary and substitute it with neutral or positive statements about yourself. Remind yourself of major and minor achievements you have accomplished, and write three things you are grateful for every morning.
5. Skipping Movement or Morning Sunlight
Spending the morning stuck to your phone screen in low light and keeping your body stationary, when the sun is out, can influence your circadian rhythm and reduce serotonin levels. The dip in serotonin can affect mood control, sleep patterns and general psychological well-being.
Why is it Bad?
Absence of physical exercises and sunshine can lead to depression, lethargy and even Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD) symptoms, particularly in the colder seasons.
Alternative Action:
Start your day with five or ten minutes of jogging or light stretching, along with a quick walk in the sun. Sunlight in the morning will keep your body clock on track and will increase the level of serotonin, which makes you feel less stressed and more concentrated.
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Final Thoughts: Small Tweaks, Big Impact
Starting your day in a certain way is more important than it seems. Every single one of these habits, whether that be scrolling your phone unconsciously, missing meals, or thinking too many negative things, can slowly eat away at your mental health. However, the positive thing is that all of them can be changed when