Kiss your phone good night.
When was the last time you did anything without rushing? Unless we consciously decide to slow down, we may find ourselves rushing from the time we get up until it’s time to go to bed. Technology offers our society such wonderful enhancements to daily living that we sometimes forget to slow down. We can reach out and touch people in numerous ways including the phone, email, and social media. We get up with our smartphones, cuddle with them, go to bed with them, and sometimes we allow them to dictate our daily activities.
I recently heard that the average person grabs the phone 150 times a day. I was stunned. I couldn’t even imagine that I could be picking up my phone that much during the day. I didn’t want to count the times so I decided I would do what I knew would be one of the most beneficial things I could. I would put my phone down (laptop and tablet) as well at least 15 – 30 minutes before I went to bed. I also decided I would not check my devices until I had been up for at least 20 minutes. I used grab my phone when the alarm went off and check my FB, Twitter and/or Instagram. After the recent presidential elections, many of the posts were fear based and ranting. I was checking my phone before meditating, now that is madness for me. I asked myself, is this how I want to start my day? NO, it is not. In December 2016, I said good night to my phone and stopped grabbing it when I woke up.
So what did I notice after I started putting my phone away before bed and not reaching out for it first thing in the morning? I sleep better. I feel less anxious. It is a much more peaceful way to start the day. I needed to get back to managing my life and not allowing information that was floating out there to distract me from what is happening in my own life. Technology is not human and has no discretion or judgment. A phone, tablet, device is a piece of hardware that gives us access to a lot of information. Honestly, much of the information we/I access is not really helpful. It is simply a way to fill in the space of time throughout the day. Am I eating the right amount of vegetables? Is pork now the new lean white meat? I thought pork was bad for you. It’s all too much. Filling in this time makes us feel so busy and can make us feel overwhelmed. Deciding not to grab my phone and check social media first thing in the morning was one of the best practices I have adopted.
I’ve continued to be aware of my connection with technology and set my boundaries around using devices, especially when with my family and friends. My family and I choose to have no phones at dinner and enjoy our time together. It’s funny that they will ask if it okay to pull out the phone to share something before they just open up the phone. I think that is progress. 😉
I’ve committed to being more mindful about the time I spend on my devices and I’ve truly enjoyed noticing the beauty around me by being more present. After all, I’m sure when I get back online there will be something to share, like or retweet.
Tell me your how you step away from technology to be more present. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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