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This Tiny Morning Habit Could Be Making Your Whole Workday Feel Worse, According to Experts

Experts say the way you spend your first few minutes after you wake up can send your brain straight into stress mode.

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I don’t know what it says about my mental health, but getting out of bed each morning is one of the most challenging tasks of my day. Oftentimes, I find myself dreading the inevitable stress that awaits me. From work responsibilities to chronic illness management to navigating the chaos occurring globally, it’s hard just to find the motivation to get up and get out into the world.

Of course, I’m not doing myself any favors by immediately checking social media and scrolling TikTok before even brewing my first cup of coffee. 

Experts call this stressed state the “pre-work overwhelms”—and thankfully, there’s treatment for it. Jackson Parsons of My Duvet Flip outlines small behavior shifts that might help lower your mental overload, deeming it the P.A.U.S.E Method. Here’s how it looks in action.

P – Put Your Phone Down

I knew I was already hurting myself by using my phone to numb my morning stress.

“One of the worst things people can do for their stress levels is immediately reach for their phone the second they wake up,” says Parsons. “The problem is your brain goes from no stimulation to maximum stimulation within seconds. Notifications, emails, group chats, social media, and work messages all have an enormous amount of information for your nervous system to absorb straight........

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