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No Phone in the Morning

Inka Land is a psychologist (MSc neuropsychology), YouTuber, podcast host, co-author of the Resilient Being book and Biohacker’s Brain Nutrition Guide, and the co-founder of the Biohacking Women Online Course. She helps women in business to improve their mental and brain health with an evidence-based healthy lifestyle.

"Surveys show that most people look at their phones first thing in the morning. Try instead, to connect first with your emotions, thoughts, and vision for the day. And spend some time to connect with your partner. This way, you choose what thoughts will lead the rest of your day, instead of letting the technology to choose them for you. This single will transform your whole rest of the day.” – Inka Land

Overview

In this challenge, you will refrain from looking at your phone for at least 30 minutes after waking up. This is the amount of time that it takes for the brain to go through all the important brain-wave transitions of the morning and get fully awake (from sleepy theta and alpha waves to wakeful beta waves). If you look at your phone, you’ll disrupt these natural transitions, because artificial blue light and excessive mental stimulation interfere with this process. It may make your body “rush into” a stressed, wakeful state instead of calmly waking up naturally.

Foundations

During these 30 minutes, we usually experience “sleep inertia” and have slightly less cognitive control, so there’s also a risk of procrastination and scrolling. The mind is also more receptive to the information it receives. If we look at the news or social media, which feeds us random information from the newsfeed, we might get easily agitated or stressed over what we see. Withholding from phone use during sleep inertia allows you to control the first thoughts of the morning, which will set the tone for the rest of the day for you.

Instructions

Put your phone on airplane mode and don't access the Internet before you have completed your morning routine.

Instead of looking at your phone, I suggest completing your morning routine first, letting the body wake up easily and allowing the brain to finish its wake-up cycle and achieve cognitive control before using technology. I suggest tuning your mind into optimism, growth, and life purpose, and prime your mind for the day exactly as you wish.

Morning is the most important time of the day. Try this morning habit and feel how it can transform the whole day, supporting your positive emotions, focus, mental balance, and productivity.

Suggested Morning activities:

  1. Drink a glass of water to support your hydration and liver. You can mix in some electrolytes and lemon for better hydration
  2. Meditate. Do a short mindfulness session or gratitude meditation and tune the mind into focus, positivity, and mindfulness for the rest of the day.
  3. Get sunlight exposure. Set your circadian rhythm by exposing your eyes to morning rays of sunlight for 5-15 minutes. You can also open up the window of the apartment to let the sunlight pour into your apartment.
  4. Do yoga or move your body in other ways. Light movement will help to clear out sleep hormones, like adenosine, from the brain and shorten sleep inertia. It also elevates a brain growth hormone BDNF, which is important for good mood, neuroplasticity, and memory.
  5. Take a cold shower. A 1-3 minute cold shower wakes your body without excessive cortisol increase. It will elevate dopamine levels for several hours and is an excellent way to tune the mind into productivity and flow.
  6. Journal on your thoughts. Being in a mildly relaxed state, with less cognitive control, is an excellent time to write down thoughts. There are many things you can journal about, including gratitude, goals, thoughts, and even trauma healing (see my journaling challenge for more information)
  7. Set your goals for the day. Writing down your most important goals for the day helps with focus and prioritizing and can reduce cognitive fatigue and stress.
  8. So red light therapy. 5-10 minute sessions with a full-body red light therapy panel help to lower inflammation and support recovery.
  9. Talk and connect with your partner. Before connecting with other people through social media, or checking the phone, hug, kiss, and connect with your partner. Spend some real authentic time together, before phones. You can share some morning habits like meditating, red light therapy, or making Morning Upgraded Coffee.

I’m very excited to hear about your experiences with this habit, and how it has transformed your mornings or days.