Cell Phone Addiction

Have you heard of the latest pathologies?
"Textaphrenia"...
"Ringxiety"...
"FOMO" (fear of missing out)... or
"Nomophobia" (no mobile phobia)?!

Phone Addiction has now been associated with things like sleep disturbance, anxiety, stress, muscle pain, and eye afflictions (1). 

The average Canadian spends just over 41 hours per month online. Most Canadians don't leave home without their phone and most use their phone in restaurants.
With this surge of technology at our fingertips, digital detox centers and retreats have been popping up all over the place.

In this article, a neuroscientist establishes a few reasons disconnection helps us to reconnect: our posture improves, we are more open and have better eye contact, we gain deeper friendships, we don't kill conversation with google, and we gain better memory, sleep, and new perspectives.

Here are five ways you can connect more to the world around you by ever-so-gently unplugging yourself:

1. Turn off your phone notifications.

2. Set an timer for intervals when you will not check your phone.

3. Buy an alarm clock and charge your devices in a room other than your bedroom.

4. Shut your phone off intentionally before social interactions.

5. Try leaving your house once in a while without your phone.


This probably isn't shocking news to anyone, but it is harder to do than we may realize. So I challenge you this week to start with one or two of the above steps and let me know how you do and what benefits you notice in your life!

@drkatherinemasters #TuesdayMorningTidbit