Change your morning routine for less stress and better focus

Nowadays, we spend more time hunched over screens and less time connecting to people. A Harvard study of 3 million people across the world early in the pandemic showed that the working day increased by 1 hour.

We go to bed answering messages, 60% of us check messages on waking.

The boundaries between work and leisure time are blurred. Always feeling ‘on’ isn’t great for our productivity or our mental health. The human brain needs time to calibrate.

There is so much we can do to get out of the usual auto-pilot. Here are 3 simple changes that can set you up for a good day and over time can contribute to better mental health.

Break the habit of reaching for your phone first thing

This is an easy win. Switch your alarm to a clock, have your phone on airplane mode or, even better, in another room. If your first act of the day is to respond to a message or read the news, then stress levels are likelier to increase.

Breathe

Notice the rhythm of your breath. As much as you can, gently lengthen your exhale and take a fuller inhale. Make your stomach and chest inflate and deflate. If you’re not used to breathing in this way then start with something subtle and build up to deep breaths.

Engage your senses

Savour a moment during your morning routine, try not to just rush through it. The simplest way to do this is to focus on your senses. Lay in bed and listen to birdsong, in the shower focus on the water hitting your skin or, when you have your coffee, smell the aroma.

If you struggle breaking your habits or getting out of auto-pilot then there are lots of resources on My Wellness Hub to help.

Using your phone too much? Read this

Breathing technique - listen here

Hard to focus? Mindfulness sessions -listen here

As always, you can book in a confidential coaching call to discuss any topic - find a time to suit you here.