Calling all smartphone addicts: do you wish your mornings felt more relaxed and less rushed? I’ve recently made a small shift that has helped me dramatically- and truly anyone can do it. *If you’re one of the lucky few who doesn’t consider yourself addicted to your smartphone, you can stop reading now- the following tip won’t apply to you.*

On a typical morning, I would wake up via my smartphone’s alarm clock. Then of course I immediately checked email, social media, the weather, the news, etc. Before I knew it, on some mornings anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes had passed. Then I realized I was running late and felt rushed, not to mention stressed out at all the emails and generally depressing news I had just read.

Something had to change. It was a terrible way to start my day.

So, I moved my cell phone charger to the kitchen, and got a good old fashioned battery-powered alarm clock. The change has been huge. Imagine waking up and actually being able to check in with your body for a moment, stretching and breathing. Instead of thinking about the email that was sent to you at 4 am from a needlessly freaked out coworker, you’re thinking about what you’d like for breakfast or your goals for the day. You might even use that extra 20 minutes to go for a quick jog.

Since moving my phone charger to the kitchen, it feels a little less urgent to look at my phone even when I am up and out of bed. I’m doing a lot more before work that makes that time feel like it belongs to me, and what I do with my time feels like a much more purposeful choice.

If you’re someone who starts your mornings with smartphone time, I encourage you to ask yourself if you’re prioritizing activities that make you feel the way you want to. For some people that really might be emails and social media, which is fine. However I think for a lot of us, it’s exercise, preparing a healthy lunch or time for connection with your roommates or family members that really sets the tone for the rest of the day.

Would things shift for you if you simply moved your phone charger?