Smartphone Use
Smartphones: Tool or a Crutch? In today's digital world, our phones have become an essential part of our lives. We work, live, and play with them. We check, hold, protect, and update them often. They beep, ring, speak, and tell us what to do.
We rely on our smartphones to find things, get us to places, connect with others, like, share & receive information, be entertained, and help us function in all aspects of work, business, health & life.
We can't live without them.
Or, can we?
Have we become too attached to our phones or is there a balance between healthy vs habitual use?
Digital withdrawal
What if we put away our phones for a while and ignored them?
What would happen?
Silence. Peace.
At first, it's a relief, until some time goes by and you start to... look for it, drum your fingers, pat yourself, check your pockets, look around, eyes start darting, hands start twitching and you feel kind of lost. Not sure what to do with yourself.
You can't focus on anything, lose motivation, and start feeling anxious & moody. Everything stops until you reunite with your Precious.
Hold up Frodo.
You can't just quit cold turkey. You need a plan.
Plan B: Ditch the shadow
Like anything with addictive qualities, you need to balance your usage or risk the DROP.
Yes, you've been taking massive hits of Dopamine while scrolling and clicking away for hours daily on your phone. Maybe you're even sleeping with it or sharing your bathroom space. It's become a constant shadow. You don't take a step without your smart buddy.
Virtual rollercoaster
Every time we use our smartphone, we get a hit of pleasure or an emotional charge. It feels good to smile, type, argue, cry, learn, etc. It's all good, right?
Not really. If your time and attention are intentional & managed, the results are powerful. But if you're being exposed to a stream of random content whose intention is your attention... well, that's bad for you.
It means something external is controlling your attention & feelings and this digital rollercoaster releases a cocktail of chemicals that can create havoc on your health and well-being.
Our actual reality is more important than a virtual one
Avoid digital Black holes
Our brains become used to these artificial peaks of pleasure and want more. We crave the good 'feels' that our phones instantly give us.
We literally lose our sense of time and space when we are sucked into random digital holes. They are everywhere and are designed to draw us into their powerful orbit.
We have to become aware of and avoid their gravitational pull, and be mindful of how much time & energy we give to random digital sources. Our actual reality is more important than a virtual one.
Everything in moderation
Over time, excessive habitual use will drain our focus, motivation, pleasure & mood and leave us feeling stressed, anxious, tired, or depressed. Not happy campers.
We need to find our natural baseline... what is a normal pleasure level (borderline boring) and manage the peaks. Too much of anything can be bad. Everything in moderation for balance & well-being.
What's your Intention?
Make sure to use your phone and digital devices with intention (not habit) and protect your brain, happiness, and well-being in the process.
Remember, a TOOL is a handheld device that aids in accomplishing a task.
Whereas, a CRUTCH is a means of support or assistance that is relied on heavily or excessively.
How are you using your smartphone?
Are you using it to help you accomplish goals & tasks or relying on it as your main source of engagement? If you are feeling the effects of habitual use, then it's important to put the devices down and step away for a bit.
Take a digital break.
Create some balance.
Reconnect with yourself.
Happiness Hormones
Become mindful of your precious time and energy. Give yourself a timeout and recharge your batteries daily. Research shows that natural, simple things bring us balance and pleasure. Being outdoors, getting sunlight, eating healthy, and exercising are important for our well-being and happiness.
In fact, there are (4) hormones that affect our Happiness 🙂
DOPAMINE - Reward + Motivation
OXYTOCIN - Love Hormone
SEROTONIN - Mood Stabilizer
ENDORPHINS - Pain Relief
These chemicals are released in our brains whenever we do certain things and give us a natural boost of happiness and relief that benefits our mood, emotions, and behavior.
Daily DOSE of Happiness 🙂
Get a daily DOSE of well-being by unlocking the happiness chemicals in your brain. These infographics focus on the (4) main Happiness Hormones: Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins. They remind us to take a break and do things that naturally help to lift our mood & improve our health.
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Knowledge is Power
Although it's undeniable that smartphones are essential for work and life, they shouldn't take over everything. That includes our personal time and energy to take a break and re-charge, without any electronics. Listen to nature, feel your own heartbeat, move at your pace, and breathe...
Smartphones don't walk, we do. So, put down your crutch and move.
You'll feel better 🙂
Get Your Daily Dose of Happiness 🙂
Unlock the happiness chemicals in your brain and boost your well-being! These inspiring graphics show how hormones impact our daily habits & lives, and how to naturally boost our happiness, health, and mood.
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