Is it time to put the phone down?

The next time you catch yourself yelling in your head at your phone, consider what you really need to be doing. Then go do it!

“Mum! You’re so addicted to your phone!”, proclaimed Miss Nine on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

“No I’m not,” a defensive reply emerged as I casually reminded Miss Nine, "I'm working”.

On a Sunday.

When the message could wait 12 hours.

And I actually need to hang out and fold the washing that's piling up in the hallway near the Monstera Deliciosa.

Have you ever noticed the number of times your thoughts, feelings and emotional responses unconsciously arise?

With no warning, a wave of sensations will wash over you and you’re left wondering, “Where did that come from? What just happened?”.

And if it's a really strong sensation, you may even reach for your favourite comfort food after the interaction.

Meditation and present moment awareness can help us to process the sensations of daily life. And stay away from the pantry, fridge or freezer.

When you’re not in your quiet sanctuary of stillness, this is when you need to up the ante and be REALLY present.

You may be at work and feel overwhelmed by your to-do list.
Or at home and the kids desire for attention/affection/assistance touch a nerve.
Perhaps you're using your phone, and a notification chimes. What’s your first thought? “Go away?”, “Oh yay!” or “Freaking hell!”?

External inputs, like a message or your child's friends pinging on Messenger Kids, can be really annoying. They interrupt concentration, and this is purposeful by design.[1]

How do you tune into your inner wisdom to filter distracting sensations and experiences?

Notice when the ‘doing’ is actually a distraction for what you need to REALLY do.

Are you time-wasting, with further inputs adding to the distraction? Then you're feeling guilty for procrastinating?

The next time you catch yourself yelling at your phone in your head, however subtle it may be, consider what you really need to be doing.

Take a breath.
Accept that you were distracted.
Forgive yourself for being distracted.
Have gratitude for the awareness.
Put down the phone and go do what you needed to do!

Do you need to lessen distractions and be more purposeful with your time?
Tune into this TEDxYouth Talk by Nichana Miller [2], be inspired and share your thoughts in the comments below.

REFERENCES:

[1] Vengochea, X., & Eyal, N. (2015). The Psychology of Notifications. Retrieved from URL https://techcrunch.com/2015/02/05/the-psychology-of-notifications/

[2] Miller, M. (2018), The Danger of Distraction. Retrieved from URL https://www.ted.com/talks/nichana_miller_the_danger_of_distraction

Categories: : Slow Living