Tapping into our technological devices first thing in the morning has become a toxic trait most of us are guilty of. Whether it’s checking in on social media, catching up with emails, sending texts or scrolling through the latest news, we’re a generation of tech addicts.

However, making your devices your first priority in the morning can give rise to a whole raft of problems including:

• Stress and anxiety as a result of bad news around the world, work pressures or negative comparison when looking at other people’s social media profiles. It also becomes another ‘thing’ to fit into the morning schedule.
• Poor focus and concentration leading to low motivation levels, procrastination and bad time-keeping.
• Headaches, eye strain and vision problems linked to overexposure to blue light.

90% of people check their devices within half an hour of waking up

Deloitte’s 2016 Global Mobile Consumer Survey revealed that more than 60% of people check their devices within 5 minutes of waking up in the morning.

Nearly 90% check their phones within 30 minutes and nearly everybody (96%) admits to using their devices less than an hour after waking.

That’s a whole lot of people tapping, scrolling and clicking away first thing in the morning, scorching their retinas with blue light before they’ve even adjusted to being open properly.

Studies suggest that physical health, mental wellbeing, productivity and motivation could all be improved if we kicked this habit to the curb.

So, tomorrow morning when you go to pick your device up, consider doing at least one of these things instead and avoid interacting with technology for at least the first hour of your day…

1. Drink a pint of water – use the time to hydrate your brain and internal organs to improve alertness and cognitive function throughout the day.
2. Do some gentle yoga stretches – wake the body up and get the blood pumping with some low impact exercise like yoga or Pilates.
3. Practise your breathing – connect with your mind and find calm by using the time to mediate and just breathe.
4. Set your intentions for the day – reflect on yesterday and use that to figure out what you want to achieve for the day. You could even grab a pen and pad to write down your to-do list.
5. Catch some quality time with your furry friends – put your phone down and spend some time with your pets instead – a failproof way to start your day with a smile.
6. Get outside for a brisk walk – rack up some steps, get the blood flowing and breathe in some fresh air outdoors.
7. Have a nutritious breakfast – when you don’t have to rush around after wasting time on Instagram, you can dedicate time to fuelling yourself with a healthy, balanced breakfast.
8. Declutter from the night before – put the cushions back on the couch, make your bed, wash the dishes – make your space a pleasant one to come back to later on.
9. Practise the art of conversation – while you haven’t got your head buried in your phone, make time to chat and make eye contact with your loved ones.
10. Swap your phone for a good old-fashioned alarm clock – many of us use our phones as a wake up call so turning off the alarm can quickly turn into twenty minutes browsing Twitter. Use an alarm clock instead to eliminate that risk and keep your phone at an unreachable distance.

Got some of your own tips on what to do to avoid technology first thing in the morning? Let us know in the comments below.