Ever wondered
how your smartphone habits impact your daily life and well-being? These undeniably handy devices can sometimes sneakily sabotage our mental health and cognitive functions.
Let's rewind to last week’s Love Mondays when I shared an interesting statistic: the average person spends 151 minutes each day on social media.
That's 2.5 hours a day dedicated to scrolling, posting, and liking. And, believe it or not, we check our phones approximately 58 times daily!
I must admit I get a little horrified when I see my ‘screentime stats' some weeks… and I’m guessing I’m not alone! But if time is one of our most precious resources, are we using it wisely to connect, learn, and grow, or are we unintentionally allowing it to slip through our fingers?
If you know me, you know I’m mildly obsessed with the quote above by James Clear. While I've got a system in place to keep my phone use in check (I use iPhones’s Screentime -> App limits. Android users, here's a guide to help you do the same), science journalist and author of 'How to Break Up with Your Phone,' Catherine Price offers another approach to foster healthier smartphone habits and mindfulness in device usage.
Price encourages us to ask these three questions before we reach for our phones:
- 1. What for? Why are you reaching for your phone? Is it to kill time, check an email, scroll, or is just a habit?
- 2. Why now? Why this very moment? Are you whipping out your phone because you want to capture a stunning sunset pic, or is it more about seeking distraction to escape your current surroundings?
- 3. What else? Pause and reflect on the alternatives. What other meaningful activities could you engage in instead of the endless scroll?
These questions serve as mindful prompts, helping you pause, assess your motives, and explore meaningful alternatives, ultimately promoting purposeful phone usage.
