There comes a time when you realize that it can get tiring to be mediocre. As much as we hate to admit it, this competitive world we live in lauds people with achievements.When we set goals we are excited about, we like to get started on them right away, so we plan for it. But often, we fall off the wagon just a few days in. Why??
Determination to achieve your goals is not enough. It isn't enough to just plan & leave it up to the gods. To truly go after something you want, you also need willpower and discipline, which not a lot of us have. The good news is, discipline can be learnt through good habits that build up to that level.
And here is one habit that you should change to be more productive:
DO NOT CHECK YOUR PHONE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING.
It is literally that simple.
Why you shouldn't
1) It fuels feelings of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
When you wake up and check all your notifications from your social media sites, the underlying message it gives off somehow is, "So, this is what you missed last night"
And even though you were completely happy about the way you spent your night, you can't help but think that you missed out on something better, which can contribute to feelings of anxiety. So, save yourself some FOMO and avoid checking your phone first thing in the morning.
2) It ruins your focus.
I've always thought that turning on your phone first thing in the morning and checking your social media sites is what it must've felt like for Jon Snow to have the White Walkers attacking them at Hardhome: so many things coming at you all at wuns (just imagined them saying the word "once" in their accent. OMG, ang adik ko)
When you turn your phone first thing in the morning, you get bombarded by several things all at once, fighting for your attention, providing your brain with several hits of dopamine, making you crave for more. Several studies have called technology addiction similar to drug addiction, but unlike drugs, people think checking our devices often is a socially acceptable norm.
Other than that, it ruins our focus, and our ability to create.
Let's say you were working on a project or a creative output and needed a 5 minute break, so you check your social media site & commented on a friend's post. Before you know it, your exchange has ended, but your curiosity has gotten the best of you so you still check the rest of the site and then you end up scrolling & scrolling, with the project completely forgotten.
And you can't dismiss it like it's no big deal. It isn't a joke to get your focus back; it can take quite awhile to get back into The Zone. Besides, think about it. Walang yumayaman sa kakaFacebook lang. Debate me on this, I dare you. charot
3) It wastes time
Ive mentioned in a previous blog post about how much time I spent on social media before realizing how much time I wasted. What I didnt tell you was how much time I wasted, which was around 4 hours a day. FOUR HOURS A DAY! That is 1/6 of my day, wasted right there.
You could do so much in four hours. You could study, exercise, meet up with friends, SLEEP or even ride a plane to Manila from Davao and back just for fun. Or, you could also use the time to learn a new skill, create or work on an online project to generate funds and build your portfolio. And yet most people give the excuse that "they don't have time". WAG AKO BES, WAG AKO.
4) It depletes your energy
Check your social media sites for the first two hours in the morning and you'll notice that you feel too drained to start on your projects. Mornings are the best times to work especially if you need a clear head and inspiration. Mornings are the best time to work on your BIG projects and those demand energy.
Or let's say you don't have a big project. Seeing all the notifications and emails of the things you need to do makes you just wanna crawl back into bed and skip your workout or daily morning routine to get started on the tasks (which shouldnt be the case!! #loveyourself), amirite or amirite?
The benefits you'll get from not checking your phone
1. You'll be more mindful of your day.
Instead of spending wasting the first 30 mins of your day checking on emails, messages and notifications, take time to meditate. A simple meditation technique is to just close your eyes and focus on your breathing for at least 3 minutes (you can work your way up to more later on). Revel in the silence and stillness of the morning and empty your brain of all worries.
Then, think of all the reasons why you are thankful for the day. It can be really simple like, being thankful for being alive, being thankful that you get to go to school to see your crush, being thankful that you have another day to change or improve on what you did the previous day, being thankful you are another day closer to being an engineer.
Start your day off with gratitude. It can make all the difference.
When you check your phone first thing, you get distracted and that will carry on ALL day. Maybe you get a message with bad news, or open your Facebook and see something negative. Those will affect your mood.
2. You'll have more good moods.
Did you know that dispositions can be catching, especially negative energy? You don't wanna be a rain cloud to someone's sunshiny day, because who knows, they might be one to another & another & another..and you just started a chain reaction of bad moods & bad days, and no one wants that.
People are more attracted to positive persons. And I believe that good things come to those with positive energies (The Secret/Law of Attraction). So if you want to start your day on a good note, avoid checking your phone first thing in the morning. Ignorance (of other people's hanashes) is bliss.
3. You'll spend time on activities that are more meaningful and value-adding.
Everyone wants to be someone or achieve something, but the excuse they most often give is "I don't have time". Well newsflash, we ALL have the same 24 hours Queen Bey does. If you spend 4 hours on social media per day as much as I used to, that is 20 hours per work week & you can do so much during that time.
Why don't you start writing that novel, or learn that new language?
Okay, so we heard the benefits of not checking our phones first thing. It sounds easy enough but it can be hard to do. So, here are some tips to avoid doing so:
1) Turn it off.
I know what you're gonna say, "But Farrah, I use my phone as an alarm.."
I gotchu fam, which is why we shall move on to #2.
2) Get a good old fashioned (alarm) clock.
and position it as faraway from you as you can. So you'll be forced to stand up and walk across the room. There, no excuse not to get a move on to your day because you're already up.
Or if you really can't get an alarm clock & absolutely have to use your phone, then use it as an alarm clock all the same, but still, put it as far away from you as you can.
Which brings me to #3.
3) If you use your phone as an alarm, when it goes off, just turn it off.
DO NOT CHECK IT.
I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE TO HOLD YOUR ARMS BACK JUST SO YOU WONT BE TEMPTED (I did that, by the way), DON'T CHECK YOUR PHONE!!!
If you're competitive, you can make a challenge out of it.
It takes 21 days to form a habit, so you can try that: The 21-day No Phones in the Morning Challenge
If you'd like to track your progress, take note of how you feel each for each day of the challenge. I know there will be some withdrawal at first, but you will later thank yourself for that. And after the 21 days are over, give yourself a reward for sticking to it.
I hope that you see the benefits after the challenge and continue to stick with it.
Lastly,
4) Remember that it's all in the mind.
Here are some thoughts that might make you think twice about checking your phone in the morning:
Nothing's ever good in the morning on social media, especially after checking it the night before.
and
If someone badly wanted (or needed) to reach you, they would call. Next time someone gets mad at you for not replying promptly, tell them that you have set times to answer your messages.
So, you've read through all my points and must be asking,
"So Farrah, when can I check my phone or social media accounts?"
I say, after you are done with your morning routine or morning must-do, and are settled. Here is one suggestion: You can check social media during your commute.
Other than that, have 2 or 3 set times you can check your phones or emails. Maybe 10 am and 3pm, after youve done a burst of work, or during your breaks at school. Remember to limit it though, cause maybe you've checked it during your break, but are still checking during class.
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At Your Engineered Life, we want to help you design the life you deserve by giving you tips and resources to do so.
I hope you liked this post and I hope that it helped you in some way. I would love to hear your feedback, or if you did the 21 day challenge like I suggested & how you're holding up. Comment down below and share this post to your friends if you enjoyed it!
Best of luck to you on your road to productivity! :)
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