Month: March 2018

In high school, my best friend Dan put an image as his cell phone background that said “DO NOT OPEN WITHOUT INTENTION”. I thought this was really odd, that he had to have a signal to tell him not to be on his phone. Unfortunately, I now totally understand why Dan did this. I, too, have allowed myself to become too invested in my phone. I see everyone around me also on their phones, and I silently judge them for it, but upon examining myself, I know I am the same way.

Since coming to college the problem has gotten worse because I have more free time. I used to have school or work or play practice constantly, so I was unable to be on my phone. Now, I just use it as a time filler. I tried to get to the root of the problem. Is it really that I am bored? Do I have FOMO and actually want to see what other people are doing on Instagram? Are there people who I genuinely want to talk to and have enriching conversations with over Snapchat? Frankly, no. It’s not any of these. The only reason I’m on my phone so much is because it has become a habit. I think this is the case for most of us millennials and Gen Z, and even older generations. We have a constant distraction that we’ve become so used to looking at on a regular basis that it has become a compulsion to do a quick scroll through our feed when not preoccupied with something else. We are not mindful about using our phones and typically have no intentions when we unlock them.

Not being mindful about phone use is harmful for many reasons. First of all, overuse of your phone leads to battery damage, so charges do not last as long and you may find yourself prematurely needing a new phone. According to Gizmodo, using your battery so much that it gets really low, especially down to zero percent, will cause your phone to lose much of its charge ability. Constantly staring at a phone is also terrible for the eyes, because mobile screens are small and cause you to strain your eyes to read the smaller print or look at the pictures. Being addicted to a phone brings up obvious risk factors, like texting and driving, but surprisingly, 42% of people who walked into traffic during a “Don’t Walk” sign were talking on the phone, looking down at a phone, or wearing headphones, according to CNN. Hunching over to look at a mobile device or text causes poor posture and the blue light from screens disrupts the production of melatonin, leading to difficulty falling and staying asleep.

I recently made it my goal to be more mindful about using my phone. I want to open my phone when I have reason to, not thoughtlessly scroll. Over Spring break, I became so frustrated with my inability to get anything done because I was so distracted by my phone. I told my sister about this, and she simply told me to just turn it off, something that I never felt compelled enough to do. I took her advice, and then I read about 200 pages of my book. It’s often surprising what you can accomplish if you only have the willpower to get away from the screen.

Sources

https://gizmodo.com/how-to-take-care-of-your-smartphone-battery-the-right-w-513217256

https://www.medicaldaily.com/5-reasons-why-cellphones-are-bad-your-health-247624

https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/30/health/smartphone-addiction-study/index.html

As someone who is nearly constantly anxious, I know how important it is to take a bit of time to yourself to chill out. I also know that there is no foolproof way to get rid of all of the stress that drags us down throughout our lives. However, not keeping our stress and anxious thoughts in check can lead to health problems like high blood pressure and muscle pains. Even worse, it takes on a snowball effect and can continue to build more stress and anxiety or lead to other mental health concerns like depression. While many different stress-relieving tools exist, I have found one of the most helpful to be meditation.

It is important to note that there is no one right way of meditating and it comes in different types. For example, there is mindfulness meditation, which includes taking notice of your thoughts that occur or what you feel, and just being observant. There is also concentration meditation, which involves focusing all of your energy on a particular thought or idea.

Personally, I prefer the mindfulness meditation because it makes me feel more in tune with myself and the world around me. Perhaps it is summer and I am sitting outside to meditate. I want to take notice of the warmth from the sun, or the faint smell of cut grass, or maybe the thought of what I’ll have for breakfast will pop up in my head. I will consider all of these things as I notice them occurring in my brain, but I don’t try to push any of them out of my head. It’s the most relaxing to me because I do not feel stressed about having to focus on certain tasks or worrying about what I’ll have to do the next day. I can simply notice only what is happening in the present.

Like I said, there is no right way to meditate, but if you’re a beginner and not sure where to start, I suggest at least 20 minute sessions at first. This way there is really enough time to allow your brain to settle for a bit, but if it doesn’t, don’t worry and try again later. If I have the time and feel the desire to, I will meditate once before breakfast and once before dinner. I would at least suggest meditating before breakfast because it sets up a positive and relaxed tone for the rest of your day. Sit in a relaxed position (I prefer loosely crossing my legs) and place your palms either on your knees our facing the sky. If I meditate for a bit after doing yoga, I often end up in “corpse pose”, which is just lying comfortably on your back. Some like to use sounds when meditating, like om, but I always feel more relaxed being silent.

Meditation may seem frustrating to some at first, as it can be difficult to quiet one’s brain, but it’s important to keep telling yourself that you are calm, and to not put any pressure on yourself to relax, because that would just be counterproductive. Also important- keep breathing! Breath can be a great focal point to start out and get you into a more eased or concentrated state of mind.

Happy meditating and stay green!