Choosing Presence Over Scrolling: A Small Change That Transformed My Mornings

Before reading The Wellbeing Advantage: 7 Transformative Habits to Thrive in Work and Life by Dr Janine van Someren, my mornings used to begin the same way: reaching for my phone and scrolling without thinking. It’s not a great way to start the morning, I ended up doom scrolling and going down various rabbit holes.

Now, I do something different. I get up and go straight out for a walk.

It’s such a simple shift, but it’s completely changed how I start my day. Instead of being pulled into a screen, and stepping into a virtual world, I’m stepping into the world around me – and I’m realising just how much I was missing.

I’m lucky to live somewhere surrounded by nature, and these quiet morning walks have become something I genuinely look forward to. I’ve heard birdsong that feels like a soundtrack to the day beginning. I’ve watched bees busy themselves on the May-trees, noticed bluebells starting to bloom, and seen donkeys wander over as if to say hello.

There are sheep with their baby lambs, full of life and energy. The gorse is in full bloom, and the air is full of their coconut scent. This morning, I even had the company of two hares, they stopped for a while, quietly observing me, before they hopped away. None of this would have happened if I’d stayed in bed, scrolling.

That’s what this book helped me realise – it’s not about big, dramatic changes. Like me signing up to a gym, going every day for a week, and then getting bored. It’s about small, intentional choices that bring you back to what’s already there.

The book has some really inspirational case studies too, and it really made me stop and think about some of my life choices. I’ve even found myself doing small exercises while I’m waiting for the kettle to boil! Who am I??

So thank you, Janine, for the nudge. It turns out the better start to my day was waiting just outside my door.