One of the new features on the latest update for Apple iPhone is a usage tracker. I will get an update that flashes once per week “your iPhone usage is down 13% from last week,” for instance. Immediately I’m like “Yay!” Wait it is? What did I do differently? Why is it down? I don’t even remember anything about my iPhone usage last week. Hmmm….very very
unmindful of me, don’tcha think?
This got me thinking about how ‘mindful’ am I really when it comes to my electronics use? Am I generally conscious when I’m scrolling and checking every 10 minutes or am I unconscious? Well I already know the answer to this question. Because I had to ask, it means I know the answer…. For someone who teaches Mindfulness for a living and boldly speaks of its benefits to others, this has now become my new intentional focus for living more aware. Some ideas for living more technologically mindful can be:
1). Take a day off. Yes I said it a DAY off of all electronics use.
2). Set limits with checking email/texts/FaceBook/Instagram… say once per hour or once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
3). When going to use your phone/iPad/computer, be intentional with ‘why’ and ‘what for’ and stick with only that intentional usage.
4). Remind yourself that your face-to-face time with your people, your students, your children is so much more important than that email or social media post or text. Basically, tap into the love for real, actual people who would like to be with the real, actual you.
5). Remind yourself that you am a role model for my kids (or students) on how to use electronics in a healthy way. Remind yourself that they look and learn from you and your behaviors daily.
Thinking about myself… If I can adopt these five guidelines (or at least some of them), I just know I will be living more intentionally with how electronics work in my life. Presently, so much of my life is on purpose and filled with loving attention… how can I ignore this aspect of it any longer?
I can not.
I will not.
#PutMyPhoneDown ~ #LoveRealNotViral ~ #Intentional ~ #MindfulTechnology
