The average person touches, swipes, or clicks their phone 2,617 times a day.
There’s no denying it, we’re spending more and more time on screens than ever before. More screen time means less time for activities that are good for your health and well-being.
THE STRESS IS REAL
Do you find yourself staring into your phone before bed or first thing in the morning? Does checking your email, scrolling social media, or responding to a slew of text messages make you feel more relaxed, present, connected, or joyful?
We live in a world where we are constantly worrying about that email we didn’t get to, comparing our day with the seemingly perfect days of our friends and acquaintances on social media, and judging ourselves and others for the foods we eat, the clothes we wear, and the lives we live. Whether conscious or subconscious this lifestyle creates a stress response in the body.
Chronic stress, low grade or not, affects all aspects of our lives including sleep, hormones, productivity, mood, digestion, and relationships! Being connected at the hip with our phones 24/7 is detrimental to our health. More and more studies are coming out linking the use of screen time to decreased immune function, cardiovascular disease, mental and mood disorders, and an overall poorer quality of life. Aside from the high doses of radiation that our cell phones emit, which should be reason enough to cut back on our phone time, constantly being connected to our phone is actually making us sick. Here are four solid reasons why cutting back on phone time will improve your health and overall quality of life.
Reason 1: Sleep better
Too much screen time, especially right before bed, disrupts our natural circadian rhythms, which consequently affect our sleep and hormones. The artificial light that is emitted from our phones delays the secretion of melatonin, an important hormone that tells the body it’s time to sleep. When you don’t get enough sleep, other hormones take the hit. This includes hormones that regulate hunger and fat storage AKA the contributors to insulin resistance. Ultimately, looking at your phone before bed creates a cascading effect of negative reactions in the body. To ensure you’re getting optimal rest leave your phone in another room or switch it to airplane mode before hitting the hay.
Reason 2: Increase productivity
Attention and focus are hard to come by these days. Many of us are constantly on our phones striving to get more work done and increase efficiency. However, it has been proven that skipping out on lunch or opting to answer those last few emails after dinner instead of going for a walk actually stifles our creativity and decreases productivity. In fact, the more we move, get outside in nature, have fun, and are away from our devices the more productive we will be. So lets make a pact to carve out specific times to do emails, answer texts, and scroll through social media and when that time ends, unplug, get outside, and have fun!
Reason 3: Boost mood
More time on your phone means less time doing the things that you enjoy. It has been proven that exercise, movement, community, and play contribute to overall better health as they increase the release of serotonin and dopamine, our feel good factors. Find an activity that you love and make time to do it at least once per week- you’ll be surprised at how refreshed you feel.
Reason 4: Connect more
How often do you see people texting at the dinner table, scrolling Instagram during a conversation, or phone in hand on a hike? The fact of the matter is, our phones, more often than not, quite literally take priority over everything else. People are more worried about snapping the perfect sunset pic for Instagram than they are about actually seeing and experiencing the sunset for themselves. Being present and connecting with the people around us is cornerstone for creating healthy, authentic relationships. So next time you find yourself reaching for your phone during that jaw dropping sunset, skip the pic and take a mental photo instead.
Top Digital Detox Tips
1. Try ‘phone stacking.’ When out with friends or during a family meal have everyone put their phones in the middle of the table and the first to reach for theirs has to do a forfeit (buy the next round, do the dishes, etc.)
2. Turn it on silent. No alerts, beeps, buzzes, or notifications with the exception of voicemails for emergencies.
3. Keep technology out of the bedroom - that means no phone, no laptop/iPad, no TV. Your bedroom is for sleeping - so don't turn it into an arcade, movie theater, bank or a shopping center.
4. Give yourself a social media allowance. Only get on social media 2x/day.
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