Quit The Morning Scroll
Alarm goes off.
Sigh. Hit snooze button. Groan. Stretch. Grab phone. Refresh inbox, check text messages, look at social media. Waste another 5 minutes doing God knows what on your phone just in time to race like a bat out of hell to get out of the door on time - all before your eyes are even fully awake.
Sound familiar? Because, same.
That used to be my morning routine. Ok, that’s a half lie. That is still my morning routine on days where I fall back into the trap of the morning scroll. The past few months I’ve been doing my best to quit a habit that most of us do and don’t even realize the negative effects.
The morning should be your sacred time because it sets the tone for your day. Let’s breakdown each part of the morning scroll and how we can say bye-bye-bye to that little devil.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Coming from someone who gets a paycheck solely due to social media, I get that the addiction is real – trust me. You know what else is real? Voluntarily submitting your subconscious to a warped world of filter photos, “perfect” vacations, “fairytale” relationships and décor dreams all before your out of bed. Talk about a dagger to your confidence and the pressure to live an unattainable flawless life. LORD SAVE US ALL. Instead of looking at photos of people who you may not even know, living their “best” life – take that time to keep your phone on the nightstand and focus on yourself. Say 3 things that you’re grateful for out loud or write down the 3 tasks that you must accomplish today. I promise you that giving yourself time to focus on you instead of others will make a large difference throughout your day ahead.
EMAILS, ETC.
I get that we all have a 100 things going on and that sometimes the only way to balance it all is to send off an email while your head rests on a pillow. The thing is, checking what’s waiting for you on the other side of your Inbox has a serious potential to set the tone of your day before your feet even touch the ground. For example, let’s say your boss is in one of thosemoods and fires off an email dripping in bad vibes while rattling off 500 tasks for you to complete. Do you think you’ll sit there with a smile on your face excited for the day ahead? Surely not. Before you even have a chance to brush your teeth you are already dreading what the day holds and are full of negative energy. Don’t submit yourself to that! Julie Morgenstern, a New York Times best-selling author and Oprah's favorite organizing expert, wrote a book titled Never Check Your Email In The Morning. See! I’m not making this shit up! This is real life stuff that can have a huge benefit to your life if you simply make a few minor adjustments.
HEALTH GURU
I’m a morning person, always have been. I’d much rather work out at 7AM than 7PM – it’s just how I’m wired. If that sounds like death to you, GET ON MY LEVEL. Only kidding. I have found that working out in the morning boosts my energy throughout the day and helps me make healthier decisions when it comes to meal decisions. So, you can lay in bed mindlessly scrolling through things that will cloud your mind or you can get your cute self out of bed and get your health on. The decision is yours, my friend. It can be something as little as taking a walk around the block to take in the morning sunlight and to get your legs moving. Or making yourself a cup of tea / coffee to sip on after a few morning yoga stretches. You don’t need to run a half marathon before you head into work to make a difference in your morning routine, you simply need to put your phone down and replace your scrolling time with a healthier, mind or body, alternative.
TIME SAVOR
On top of being a morning person, I’m also a time management freak – don’t I sound fun? ;) By not touching my phone in the morning I have given myself the gift of time. More time to make a delicious and nutritious breakfast. More time to dedicate to getting ready, leaving myself feeling more confident. More time to ensure I have everything in my purse because forgetting something is the worst. More time to have a dance party in my room because why shouldn’t your Tuesday morning start off with a Taylor Swift playlist? More time to ask my husband how he slept instead of racing out the door before even saying good morning.Once you recognize how to utilize your time, time will become your friend instead of a tick tocking enemy. If you’re in need of time management tips – read this article, it will change your life.
HAPPINESS
I’m going to go out on a limp here and say that nixing the morning scroll from your morning routine will make you a happier person. There, I said it. Less screen time equals more happiness. You feel me? Instagram, group texts, emails, voicemails, notifications, blah blah blah – it creates anxiety and subconsciously changes your psyche for the day. The pure thought of not reaching for your phone first thing in the AM to see what you missed while you were sleeping may make you want to break out in hives but honey I’m telling you - FOMO should not control your life. Once you break the habit of the morning scroll, you will feel like you were just given a get out of jail card. WELCOME TO YOUR NEW LIFE! Enjoy it. Learn how to love your mornings and dedicate time to setting yourself up for a successful day ahead instead of a rushed shitshow with the hub of your thoughts being effect by what you saw on your screen. Deal? Deal.
I love mornings,
Chels
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