Tuesday Tips is a weekly newsletter with actionable tips related to reducing screen time, increasing productivity, maintaining health & wellness, and understanding the psychology behind behavior change. To view all the tips go to getpresentapp.com/blog.
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Tip at a Glance: If you’ve followed our content for a while then you know one of the worst things you can do is doomscroll first thing in the morning. But sometimes it’s hard to not scroll when you don’t know what else to do in the morning. That’s why we’re big proponents of having a morning routine. It takes the guess work out of what you need to do in the morning, reducing decision fatigue, which is one of the biggest causes of morning doomscrolling. Plus, research has shown that a good morning routine reduces stress, boosts energy levels, and improves productivity throughout the day.
Morning routines are so important. Research has shown that having a consistent routine reduces stress, boosts energy levels, and improves productivity throughout the day.
But additionally, it can also help you break your unhealthy phone habit.
Most of us scroll on our phone first thing in the morning and we’ve previously written about why this is the absolute worst thing you can do.
One of the reasons we scroll first thing in the morning is because it’s part of our routine. It’s become habit to just roll over in bed and start scrolling. We don’t even think about it.
But we also start scrolling because it’s in our psychology to find something easy to do when we don’t know what to do next.
Most of us wake up in the morning with no plan of attack. We spend the first hour of our day bumbling around in a manner that is neither efficient nor conducive to seizing the day.
And when we don’t really have a set routine, we resort to the easiest thing that gives us pleasure: our phones.
I’m a big believer that the first hour of the day is what primes you for the rest of the day, and most of us aren’t taking advantage of it.
Creating an effective morning routine that actually primes you for the day can help you achieve your goals while also providing a substitute for that morning doomscroll.
So what should your morning routine look like? Everyone is different, and I don’t think you need to go overboard, but here’s what we do:
Start with silence: meditate first thing in the morning to clear your mind
Jot down your thoughts: journal for 5-10 minutes to formalize your thoughts and plan the day
Get active: I usually workout for 30-60 minutes in the gym, but you don’t have to overcomplicate it. Find some way to get the blood pumping, even if just for a few minutes
Get sunlight: morning sunlight does wonders for our mood and also helps start our circadian rhythm. Making sure I get sunlight in the morning has done wonders for my sleep
If you’re looking for more inspiration, the book The Miracle Morning is a great read. It goes more into the science behind the importance of a morning routine + offers actionable tips for how to implement your own routine.
So if you’re looking to reduce your screen time while also jumpstarting your day, make sure to master your mornings.