YAHOO! NEWS – Cardiologists warn that checking your phone in the first hour of waking up is a no-no.
There are a few reasons for this, but the most obvious one is that our phones and the constant stream of information (and misinformation) we get from them can stress us the hell out—but it goes even beyond that, warns Dr. Alexandra Kharazi, MD, FACS, cardiothoracic surgeon at Southern California Surgical.
“It’s not just about stress hormones. It’s about what kind of day that habit sets in motion,” she tells Parade.
Essentially, in addition to scrolling potentially triggering anxiety or FOMO, you’re also setting yourself up for a day that’s less than ideal for your heart health, according to Dr. Kharazi.
This is because you’re doing that instead of things that are actually good for you.
These can include preparing a heart-healthy breakfast, meditating, really savoring your morning coffee or tea, stretching, exercising, walking your dog or even just spending a few minutes with your loved ones before schlepping off to work.
Dr. Kharazi isn’t alone in her warnings against checking your phone first thing in the morning.
“It’s well established is that both acute and chronic psychological stressors are linked to high blood pressure and heart disease in the form of heart attacks and heart failure,” Dr. Paul Bhella, MD, FACC, FAHA, FASE, cardiologist and professor of medicine at Burnett School of Medicine at Texas Christian University, tells us.
Essentially, if your feeds are full of doom, gloom or people seemingly doing better and/or having more fun than you are, you may be breaking your heart in more ways than one.
What’s more, checking your phone first thing in the morning—plus too much screentime daily—can cement poor habits, like a lack of movement …
