The mistake you make every morning that's damaging your health

• We should all practice screen-free behavior in the morning and throughout the day.

Our smartphone has become our best ally and companion. It accompanies us wherever we go, always very close, if not in our hand, then far away in our pocket or purse.

This has led to this device becoming an increasingly important part of our lives and serving to perform more and more actions, replacing the things that were there before. Our mobile phone now functions as a credit card, a transport ticket, a concert ticket, and hundreds of other uses.

This has made phones essential in our daily lives , but there is a problem, and that is that the constant use of these devices has caused us to become somewhat addicted and dependent on them , some more than others, but there are hardly any people who do not pick up their smartphone at least once a day.

This need to always have the phone nearby makes us want to be glued to it at all times, and when we wake up, the vast majority of people (who sleep glued to this device) the first thing they do is pick it up and check their notifications or look at their social networks.

But this is a mistake that can affect your health, both physically and mentally, and picking up your phone as soon as you wake up can be very harmful to you.

Among the most negative aspects of picking up the phone as soon as you wake up are:

• Increased stress and anxiety : Immediately exposing yourself to news, work emails, or social media can trigger your stress response.
• Information overload : Your brain needs time, and bombarding it with information right when you wake up can hinder this natural process.
• Negative impact on mood : If the first thing you see is negative news, conflicts on social media, or comparisons with others' lives, your mood is more likely to be negatively affected from the start of the day. This can lead to feelings of frustration, envy, or sadness.
• Brain wave alterations : When you wake up, your brain is in a theta wave state, associated with relaxation and creativity. Picking up your phone immediately can put you in a beta wave state, associated with focused attention, which, if done too soon, can lead to feelings of distraction and stress.
• Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): The need to check notifications and stay on top of things can be driven by the fear of missing out, leading to anxiety and a compulsive need to check your phone.

But it can also affect your physical health with aspects such as:

• Sleep cycle disruption : Blue light emitted by device screens suppresses the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep.
• Eye strain : After hours of darkness while sleeping, your eyes need time to adjust to the light. Immediately exposing them to the intense glare of a screen can cause dryness, irritation, and discomfort that can persist throughout the day. Over time, this can contribute to chronic digital eye strain.
• Possible increased cortisol levels : While cortisol levels are typically highest in the morning as part of the natural waking process, exposure to stressful content on your phone can elevate them even further, which is associated with anxiety and irritability.