Morning trades that can change your life:
Stroll (sunrise walk) vs scroll (social media)
Sunlight vs LED blue light
Download your own thoughts/emotions and process them vs read other people’s thoughts when you’re more susceptible to suggestion
Plan your day vs social media decision fatigue
Simple changes, but completely change the way the dopamine and cortisol systems govern the day
The Modern Morning Suffering Cycle:
Wake up in a haze with insufficient REM sleep
Insufficient REM = poor emotional processing
Open social media
Blue light hits eyes
Cortisol response
Social media has fear mongering and emotionally reactive content
Cortisol rises more
Brain hyper fixates on the content, searching for more
Continue to read/watch content
Reach decision fatigue (only limited decisions can be made each day)
Dopamine reserves sapped
“I can’t focus I have ADHD”
Reach for caffeine
Doesn’t work
Seek out cheap dopamine in form of food, cheap media, porn
“Why am I gaining weight?”
More stress about the situation
By afternoon, decision/dopamine reserved are toasted
“I’m so tired”
Take more caffeine/stimulants
“Why am I so anxious?”
Can’t sleep at night
Opens phone and scrolls for hours with reserve bedtime procrastination
Light at night raises cortisol and lowers melatonin
Insufficient deep sleep
Body feels more tired
Less likely to workout, more likely to gain fat
More likely to get injured -> more fat -> more stress
Insufficient REM sleep…. Back to where we started
REPEAT
Change your morning, change your life
This small loop changes your hormonal output, changes your reality, and allows companies to monetize your attention