Your morning provides a unique opportunity to maximize brain function for the rest of the day. What you do (or don’t do) during this time. First 60-90 minutes after waking up Will affect your mood and cognitive performance over the next hours.
But the painful truth is this: Most people unknowingly declutter their minds before 9 a.m. and wonder why they are unable to concentrate or feel stressed all the time. The following five morning habits are common, and I’ve engaged in them before. Let’s examine them from a neuroscience perspective and find better options for each.
I gave up these 5 morning habits as soon as I realized how they affect my brain:
1. Checking your phone first thing in the morning
This habit is very common. 84% of the US population checks their phone within the first 10 minutes of waking up: :
Why is this problematic:
Within the first 30-45 minutes after waking up, cortisol awakening response occur. There is a huge increase in your cortisol levels in the morning. A healthy cortisol awakening response prepares you for the day ahead.
But if you immediately grab your phone to check your social media, work-related messages, and news, you risk an excessive cortisol awakening response. The response is designed to prepare your organism for anticipated daily demands, and when you introduce immediate stress (phone stuff) during this sensitive window, you disrupt your natural preparation system.
What you can do instead:
Wait at least 45 minutes before checking your phone. Allow your cortisol awakening response to unfold naturally.
2. Skipping the morning light
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Most of modern life takes place inside homes, apartments, and offices. Natural daylight exposure is becoming increasingly uncommon.
Why is this problematic:
The strongest effect on your internal biological clock is that of light exposure. Light entering your eyes stimulates an area in your brain called Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). This area acts as a pacemaker for your brain and body, using light signals to set daily rhythms.
When light enters your eyes in the morning, a series of neurochemical events begin to occur:
- It naturally promotes a healthy cortisol awakening response.
- Melatonin, often called the “sleep hormone”, is suppressed. Successful morning melatonin suppression also optimizes evening melatonin production, thereby improving sleep the next night.
- it promotes serotonin turnover in the brain. Exposure to daylight can aid mood regulation, making you feel happy and calm.
Exposure to light, especially in the morning, is important for adjusting your biological clock. Insufficient light in the morning can make you feel sluggish throughout the day and reduce the quality of sleep the next night.
What you can do instead:
Expose your eyes to natural sunlight as soon as possible after waking up, ideally within the first 30 minutes. Aim for at least 10 minutes of exposure to natural light, or 15-20 minutes on cloudy days. Avoid wearing sunglasses or looking directly at the sun.
If you can’t go out early or get up when it’s dark, bright indoor lights can help. Standard indoor lights aren’t bright enough, so consider getting a lamp with at least 10,000 lux. Do not use it in the evening as it may disturb your sleep!
3. Jumping straight into deep, complex work
Some people wake up to use the morning calm for productivity and immediately begin an intense work session.
Why is this problematic:
you wake up in a state called sleep inertiaWhere your thinking and decision making ability gets impaired. Early in the morning, you are in a A loose state of mind that may be beneficial for creative work, but not for intense focus. Your brain wakes up slowly, and you need your cortisol awakening response (see above) before you can complete focused work.
What you can do instead:
Let your brain and body wake up earlier, and support a healthy cortisol awakening response through exposure to light, avoiding screens, and certain activities.
4. Having a sweet breakfast
Miriam Sicard/Unsplash+
Sweet snacks are very common, such as bread with jam or sugary cereals.
Why is this problematic:
High sugar breakfast leads to a A rapid rise in blood sugar followed by a significant drop a few hours later. This glucose instability affects your brain because it runs on glucose as fuel.
What you can do instead:
Focus on protein. Protein-rich breakfast (25-35 grams of protein) Supports cognitive performance, satiety and sustained energy throughout the day. That means it not only improves the functioning of the brain but also controls appetite.
5. Skipping hydration
Many people are unaware that when they wake up, they are slightly dehydrated. Your body is constantly losing fluids, and after several hours without any fluid intake, your body becomes deficient in fluids in the morning.
Why is this problematic:
Your brain and body consist primarily of water, and they require proper hydration to function. You need to replenish fluids in the morning because Even mild dehydration affects your cognitive performance and mood.
What you can do instead:
Drink water immediately after waking up. About 250-350 ml is enough. Keep your water bottle or glass on your nightstand so it’s handy when you get up.
These 5 habits may seem small, but they add up. Your morning routine either sets you up for success or hurts you.
The neuroscience is clear: What you do in the first 60-90 minutes after waking up affects your cognitive performance, mood, energy, and focus throughout the day, and it also affects the quality of sleep the next night.
Your brain deserves better than chaos. Start with small changes and see how your whole day changes.
Patricia Schmidt is a doctor of psychology, neuroscientist, and writer on Medium and other platforms. She writes primarily about psychology and the brain, and she is also a ghostwriter for these topics. You can subscribe to his newsletter “ATP – All Things Psychology.”
