While it may not seem like a problem at first, the habit of using phones early in the morning may impact your overall health.
Screens emit blue light, which disrupts melatonin production, making it difficult to fall asleep.
In today’s digitally driven world, smartphones have become our best friend. For many of us, the first instinct upon waking up is to reach for our phone, even before catching a glimpse of our own reflection. This habit is often triggered by the fact that our morning alarms are set on our phones. As we silence the alarm, we fall into the routine of scrolling through the texts, notifications and social media feeds. While it may not seem like a problem at first, the habit of using phones early in the morning may impact your overall health.
Here are some of the negative impacts of using your smartphone early morning:
Affects our Mental Health
Mornings are the best time to work on your physical, mental and emotional strength. Therefore, if you spend this time responding to texts or emails, you consume a lot of irrelevant information which could disrupt your plans for the rest of the day and harm your mental health. It can cause symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression.
Worsens the addiction
Screen addiction is real and reaching your phone immediately after waking up can worsen the tendencies. The dopamine rush from checking messages or engaging in online activities can lead to dependency, making it difficult to quit the habit and diminishing the attention span.
Disrupts Sleep Cycle
Using your phone right after waking up could have a major impact on your sleep cycle. Screens emit blue light, which disrupts melatonin production, making it difficult to fall asleep and perhaps causing restless nights.
Impacts your eyesight
Excessive phone usage might cause additional strain on your eyes. In the morning, our eyes are still adjusting to the light. It can cause dry eyes, burning sensations and headaches.
Risk of contamination in Toilet
Most of us have a habit of using our phones in the washroom. But doing this can harbour hazardous bacteria and diseases on your phone which can raise the chances of cross-contamination.
How to avoid this?
- Set a good sleep schedule: Go to bed at a reasonable hour and take at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep. Avoid using any electronic devices one hour before sleeping. The same goes for the morning, do not check your notifications at least 1 hour after you wake up.
- Focus on physical health: Instead of checking your phone, try prioritising your physical health in the morning. Practice yoga or go for a morning walk or gym.
- Spend Time With Family: Connect with your family and loved ones and talk to them early in the morning.
- Prepare a healthy breakfast full of vitamins and proteins.
These suggestions can help you promote good health and productivity.
Read More: 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Use Phones First Thing In The Morning – News18