Do you look at your phone before you’re even out of bed? It’s easy to do. Our phones are portals to a world of information, people, and conveniences. They may also be our alarm, weather forecaster, sleep tracker, and meditation guide.

Yet, we feel a little guilty and ashamed admitting to being a “first-thing” device user. While the impact of using a phone first thing in the morning depends on what we use it for, we all know it’s way too easy to slip from utility into random scrolling. Checking the time or the weather can increase our sense of agency—we aren’t late, and we remember the umbrella. However, if we launch into the news, email, or social media, we use the cognitive energy from a good night’s sleep without direction or purpose. We jump right into the pressures of the day without taking the time to reflect on the day’s goals and demands and have lost the chance to be purposeful or “anchored.”

Once the phone is open, it seems harmless to spend a few minutes scrolling. But it’s easy to get distracted by something negative that impacts our mood. Anger, frustration, and envy can cast a negative halo........

© Psychology Today