Most of us get glued to our smartphones right after we wake up. Be it texting someone, scrolling social media, or checking the news, using mobile phones first thing in the morning is a big no. Did you know about 80% of smartphone users have the habit of checking their phones within 15 minutes of waking up?
We can't deny the fact that mobile phones have made our life easier and it is almost impossible to work without them. However tempting it may seem, if using smartphones is the first thing you do, you should definitely avoid it. It can pose several health hazards and contribute to distraction and stress in your lives.
Health Risks Of Using Smartphones After Waking Up
Anxiety & Stress
When you look at your smartphone after waking up, you may notice various emails, to-do lists, and several kinds of news which can impact you mentally. This refrains you from starting your day calmly and increases stress and anxiety just as you start the day. A Swedish university's study indicated that using mobile phones frequently was directly associated with a higher risk of sleep disturbances, depressive symptoms in young males and women.
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Impact On Brain
When you use smartphones in the morning, your brain skips theta brain waves and heads into beta brainwaves. This impacts the physical structure of your brain, affects your mental health and well-being and induces stress. In addition, your brain releases dopamine when you check social media. As a result, your brain encourages repeating the actions that initially caused dopamine release. This makes you addicted to your phones.
According to research from the University of Waterloo, people who use cell phones are lazy thinkers than people who read books because they are more likely to not act on information or give it the consideration it needs.
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Distraction
Your 15 minutes of social media activity turns into half an hour, leading to excess time consumption. It distracts your mind and delays your morning activities. Prioritising tasks is hampered by the information overload you experience before fully awake. By checking our smartphones first thing in the morning, we become distracted much more quickly and ruin our productivity.
What You Should Do
- You can skip setting alarms on your phones; instead, use a classic clock to avoid distraction.
- Start your day by following a good morning routine and set replacement activities. Start by drinking water, exercising, and meditating. Prioritise your tasks; using smartphones should be the last thing on your mind. If you don't have something to replace your smartphone habit with, you'll become bored easily and be tempted to check your email or social media again and again.
- You can even turn your phone to flight mode before sleeping to avoid messages popping up.
Takeaway
Smartphones cannot be avoided, but we can reduce their usage to avoid the side effects. Meanwhile, studies have found that using a smartphone for an extended period increases your risk of developing neck discomfort, blurred vision, and being overweight or obese. Remember, how you start your day decides the tone of your entire day.
