If you have social media, you might be in the habit of sleeping with your phone next to you and checking it right when you wake up. You might feel like you need to catch up on everything you missed or check what your friends did the night before. But do you really need to check social media right after you wake up, and how does it make you feel?
I used to check my social media right after I woke up each morning because I didn’t like feeling “behind” on my friends’ and family’s lives – until I decided to stop. One day, I made a conscious effort not to bring my phone to bed so that I wouldn’t check it in the morning. That first morning without social media was hard, but I was serious about changing my habits.
Before I knew it, I had stuck with my new social media habit for weeks, then a month.
Going without social media in the morning really helped me. Instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media each morning, I started enjoying my breakfast and having real-life conversations with the people around me. I even created a new morning routine that helps me get ready for the day – and doesn’t involve social media.
Many of us are so attached to our phones that we feel like we need to check social media each morning, but we don’t need to think about it this way. What would happen if we didn’t touch our phones all morning? Would we feel calmer? Would we be able to sit down for a leisurely meal and genuinely enjoy each other’s company? And would we be more mindful before work or more focused during the work day?
I’m willing to bet that we would feel far calmer and happier if we didn’t check our phones first thing each day.
I get that you might have a serious case of FOMO, and staying up-to-date on the latest news from your friends might help you feel less anxious. That’s completely normal, but if you find yourself thinking about your morning social media scrolling all day, then it’s time to make a change. Yes, you might be a little late on some important news if you don’t check social media in the mornings, but you’ll feel happier and healthier overall if you don’t fixate on Instagram posts right when you wake up.
So the next time you feel like scrolling through social media right when you wake up, put yourself first instead.
Take time to shower, make yourself breakfast, and get ready for the day. When you focus on the day ahead instead of events that already happened, you’ll be able to motivate yourself to take on whatever each new day brings. You’re more important than your friends’ social media posts – and you deserve to treat yourself that way.
Featured Photo by Madrona Rose on Unsplash.
