I’m a confessed morning-scroller; I like to start my day by scrolling through highly-filtered images of unattainable standards on Instagram. My feed will usually consist of women in barely-there bikini’s and washboard abdomens, or friends sharing snaps of their exciting adventure in Marrakesh.
Meanwhile, it’s 6:30 a.m. and I’m lying in bed with the opposite of washboard abs, my cat sleeping on my head, wishing I was in a hard-to-pronounce exotic location.
The point being is when I wake up, this is the first thing I will see. My brain has become wired to viewing idealised lifestyles and expectations. While these images aim to promote happiness and inspiration, on the receiving end, it feels the opposite.
It’s the same as reading the news in the morning. Sure, there’ll be some melt-your-heart stories of ducklings being rescued from a drain, but the majority of the reports are heart-wrenching.
It’s safe to say that in today’s world we are prone to look at the negatives. And why wouldn’t we be if that’s how we begin our day? In fact, watching or reading the news has been shownto release the growth hormone, which affects your immune system and causes chronic stress, while other research has concluded that Instagram affects mental health, especially anxiety and depression.
How we chose to start the day creates the foundations for how we want the rest of our day to play out.
That’s why I’ve changed my morning routine. Instead of lying in bed, seething at unachievable bodies and my friend’s vacations, I take ten deep breaths. While it sounds simple, I’ve noticed a positive shift in my mood throughout the day. Because I know if I want to have a productive day, I have to set that intention as soon as I wake up. So, how will you choose start your day?
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