Do you ever feel like you take your smartphone out of your pocket without even thinking about doing so?
Do you ever find yourself scrolling mindlessly, post after post but you end up thinking to yourself;
“What I am doing this for? Am I gaining nothing from this? This is making me miserable.”
Yet day after day you still scroll like some kind of vicious cycle. Don’t worry; you’re not alone. It’s safe to say that pretty much everybody feels like this from time to time, some more than others.
However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t take back control of your technological lifestyle, bringing a bit more meaning and connection to your everyday life. No worry, there’s no retreats or clinics necessary.
This is all possible through mindfulness.
By becoming more aware of how you use technology, you can become a lot more proactive in living the life you want to live. Through mindfulness, a practice you can enhance through meditation, you can start to make the changes you want to make, allowing you to live the life you want to live.
Today, we’re going to explore several ways you can become mindful with how you use technology, primarily your smartphone, so you can be who you want to be.
#1 – Ring, Ring
When somebody calls your smartphone, and you hear it ringing, what’s the first thing you do? Do you rush over and bee-line to see who it is? Do you feel an insatiable answer to pick it up and have a conversation, regardless of what you’re doing or who you’re with?
To become mindful here, stop and take three deep breaths before answering your phone. Notice what it’s like to pause and not run over to it straight away.
#2 – Checking Social Media
Instead of mindlessly scrolling through your social media feeds from post to post, whether you’re on Facebook or Twitter or whatever, take a deep breath and think about how you really feel. Pay attention to each item and mentally take note of how individual posts makes you feel.
Do you feel happy? Sad? Angry? Indifferent? Maybe you come to the realisation that you simply don’t care. Take note of how you feel both before and after going on social media. This will help you to understand your relationship with these technological giants.
#3 – Leaving Your Smartphone at Home
I know a lot of you will have read this and thought something like ‘wait, what? But what if I’m out and about and someone needs to get hold of me, for example, you’re meeting somebody. Or I’m running late?
I’m not saying you have to forget and restrict yourself access from your smartphone completely. Just become mindful of how you feel when you’re not using it, or you turn it off from time to time. When you hang out with friends, or you’re at work, or at home, try turning it off for a couple of hours and see how you feel.
#4 – The Waiting Game
Whenever you’re waiting for something in your life, whether you’re at a traffic light, in a queue or whenever, how do you feel? For many of us, the urge to pull out our smartphones and start tapping away is almost irresistible.
Become mindful of where this need comes from and why you feel this way? If you proactively stop yourself from checking it, how does this make you feel?
The chances are that it will be hard at first but learning to feel comfortable doing nothing can be learned. It’s also far more satisfying, and beneficial to your health if you can.
Smartphone addiction is a growing problem all over the world. If you feel as though you may be suffering, help is available. Read articles online or search for advice in your local area. On an individual basis, try turning off and logging off every once and a while or use a usage tracking app to see how long you’re actually spending on your device every day.
