How Scrolling Your Phone Soon After Waking Up Might Be Ruining Your Mental Health; AIIMS Neurologist Explains

Phone Scrolling Effects: In the digitally-driven world, most people start their morning by scrolling through their phones or catching up on notifications right after waking up. Although it may feel like a harmless habit or even a source of entertainment, little do people know that it can silently affect their productivity, mental health, as well as sleep cycle. Without getting a proper time to get fully awakened, early morning screen time often exposes one to a surge of information which can be positive, stressful or overwhelming, creating an instant trigger of anxiety, comparison and urgency. Dr Priyanka Sehrawat, a neurologist and general physician, AIIMS Delhi, explains on her Instagram post on December 2 the science behind this habit and shares simple ways to break the cycle and boost mental health.

Morning scrolling of the phone upsets the brain's natural processes of gently coming out of sleep. However, you can get rid of this bad habit easily by fostering certain mindful practices. Here’s everything you need to know about how scrolling phone soon after waking up affects your mental health.

How Morning Screen Time Affects Your Day

Dr Priyanka Sehrawat shared on her Instagram post on how morning screen time soon after waking up can affect the day. “I wish everybody knew this. When you wake up in the morning and immediately start looking at screens or your mobile, you’re absorbing so many random things. This affects your daily planning, your work efficiency throughout the day, and your daily cycle, what you need to do, what’s on your to-do list; it simply won’t happen. Your efficiency drops,” Dr Priyanka said.

ALSO READ: 5 Harmful Mobile Habits You Should Quit Now | Here's Why

Explaining the ripple effect of constant screen exposure, she stated, “By evening, what happens? Anxiety sets in. You get headaches. You suffer from sleep deprivation. And then, your night screen time still happens.”

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dr.Priyanka Sehrawat (@docpriyankasehrawat)

Mindful Practices To Break The Cycle Of Excessive Screen Use

Dr Priyanka Sehrawat mentioned that this habit is not just a matter of productivity, but it affects the overall well-being. “All this time, anxiety is building up, headaches are coming, yet you’re still looking at screens and calling it entertainment. Entertainment at the cost of what? Your health?”

Her advice on the Instagram post is simple yet powerful, “Let’s not do it. Let’s break this cycle starting today, morning screen time, and evening or night screen time.”

ALSO READ: Expert Tips On How To Control Your Phone Screen Time In Day-To-Day Life

She also urged and recommended people to create a structured routine where mornings start screen-free and encourage them to use daylight and movement to set the tone for the day. Limiting night screen exposure, especially before bed, can improve sleep quality and reduce stress, she adds.

Thus, swapping a morning phone scrolling habit that affects your mental health with mindfulness techniques like breathing, stretching or simply enjoying the quiet in the daylight can boost your mental health and overall well-being. Thus, ditch this habit right away and enjoy a screen-free morning.