How often do you check your phone an hour? Every ten minutes? Every minute?
How quickly do you respond when you hear a ping?
Now that smartphones are wide-spread there is an expectation of an immediate response – both from family, friends and clients and bosses.
Although most of us are not carrying the nuclear codes or waiting for a call from Oprah so how available do we really need to be?
At night, when you are alseep in bed, do you pick up your phone when a test comes in? What is the first thing you do in the morning? For more and more people, it is checking their phone?
Feeling like we have to respond immediately or just be available electronically can lead to feelings of anxiety which over time can leave you feeling depleted.
What would happen instead of responding that instant to a ping, you looked at your phone hours later?
How do you think you would feel if you didn’t respond to any texts or emails after 6 pm?
How would you feel if you just left your phone at home when you went out for a rest or in the evening?
Is it inconceivable?
Make a conscious choice to wait at least 10 minutes before responding to a ping. Instead of looking at your phone when you are in line at Starbucks, stop to notice what is going on around you. Smell the coffee aroma… see the mom with giggling kids waiting in line. How does your world change when you unplug consciously at various intervals during the day?
Are you ready for a cell phone detox?