You can reclaim your life, by being more present and noticing these 9 signs you are addicted to technology.
Technology is a great gift, bringing us the ability to obtain instant information and connection, allowing us to order groceries, food, stream movies and music.
We have become so addicted to instant gratification that we have become blinded to the impact that it has had on our lives.
Sign # 1 Body Responses
You blindly use your phone/laptop/tablet/computer without noticing responses from your brain and body.
Try… Limiting your usage by setting daily reminders on your phone or calendar to check in with how you feel in respect to stress, fatigue and overall exposure time otherwise your technology usage and your health will eventually clash.
Sign #2 Beware of app addiction
The warning signs of technology overload are like those seen in people suffering from drug and alcohol addictions.
Being unwilling to put a phone or tablet down and turn it off, despite experiencing negative physical side effects or relationship problems, meets addictive criteria.
Try…Asking for honest feedback from a trusted friend, and give feedback to help others.
Sign #3 You don’t have enough ‘me-time’
Each day find space in your diary so you are 100% technology free (no TV either) and lock in down as a spiritual moment… the time to nurture your mind and body. This time will be spent differently for each person.
Try… dedicating time each day to nurture your mind and body…just try it for a week and experiment the different ways you can spend that time!
Sign #4 Creative connections
Face-to-face conversations and real-time voice connection provide a wealth of additional information to both parties involved which is missing from social media, text messages and email.
Don’t let your personal relationships collapse because an email or text message was misinterpreted.
Try…Connecting with your loved ones in present time as tomorrow is never promised.
Sign #5 Practise living in the moment
Enjoy taking time out, rather than rushing through your life moving on to the next task pay attention and just BE in the moment.
Try…treating yourself to a massage or facial.
Lay on the grass and watch the clouds go by
Soak in a bubble bath and read a book.
Sign #6 Poor concentration
Research shows that constantly scanning information online is changing our ability to pay attention.
Spending excessive amount of time online undermines our ability to concentrate and complete complex tasks.
Try…reading a book for an hour a day or try completing jig saw puzzle
Sign #7 Impatience
Technology provides instant gratification, a habit-forming hook that means we get disproportionately frustrated at the slightest delay in a coffee queue, awaiting an email response or even waiting for the traffic light to turn green.
Try…learning to meditate which will help bring you into the present and help bring a sense of calm.
Secret # 8 FOMO
Teens are particularly susceptible to the ‘fear of missing out’, which can lead to extreme anxiety depression, and sleep problems, thanks to constant exposure to backlit screen at night, adults are not immune to it either.
Try…Giving up screen time 2 hours before bedtime and help improve insomnia as well as the quality of your sleep by reading a book at bedtime.
Sign #9 Memory use it or lose it
Google processes approximately 99,000 search enquiries every second which translates to 8.5 billion Google searches per day!
Unfortunately the “Google effect” – knowing that the answers are a click away – discourages us from the effort of retaining information because it is so easy to find the answer online.
Try…increasing your memory by playing games that require using your memory and help to boost cognitive skills
• Crosswords
• Sudoku
• Chess
• Jigsaw puzzles
• Scrabble
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