Loving Myself by Scrolling Less
Having a wake call about my phone use
The week after my snowboarding holiday I became aware that I was overstimulated and looking at my phone a lot. It didn’t feel good.
I nostalgically recalled times in the past when I’ve reduced my phone usage and felt so good as a result.
It took a bit of internal wrangling to get there, but over the past 6 days I’ve got into the zone of only looking at my phone a few times a day. I believe my mental health and the quality of my life has improved significantly.
What Did I Do Instead?
Here’s a list of the things that getting off my phone has given me the headspace and focus to do instead:
– Drawing
– I’ve practised guitar
– I’ve journaled daily
– I’ve done kundalini yoga every day
– I’ve cycled
– I’ve done a trail run
– I’ve gone to the climbing centre by myself
– Gone on nature walks
I would have done quite a bit of the above anyway, but I definitely did more nurturing activities than usual. And I’ve done those things with more intention and attention.
It’s helped me to feel grounded. My nervous system is calmer.
It’s also resulted in fear and uncertaintly bubbling up.
Addictive Behaviour
As with all addictive behaviours, my phone addiction is a way of avoiding uncomfortable feelings. When we give up an addiction we are forced to sit in emptiness which can feel difficult.
I’m keen to sit in that emptiness and fear because that’s where growth happens. It’s definitely left me feeling more scared than usual about the direction I need to take my business in. However, looking at my business with my eyes open is allowing me to honestly and realistically work out what my next steps need to be. Which is a good thing.
I hope I keep up these good phone habits, but I’m not making any promises. I’d love to hear your thoughts about your relationship with your phone.
Break Your Own Bad Habits
If you have any habits in your life you want to break up with, I offer EFT – it’s 6 x 1 hour sessions for £300. Email me to find out more. Ps – you can do EFT in person or on Zoom.