Is Your Smartphone Making You Stressed?

Why should we be rethinking our smart phone usage? 

Well, lower smart phone usage can help improve your relationships, productivity, mental and physical health, just to start. 

An increasing body of evidence suggests that the time we spend on our smartphones is interfering with our sleep, self-esteem, relationships, memory, attention spans, creativity, productivity and problem-solving and decision-making skills.

How?

Your cortisol levels (a hormone your body produces when stressed) are elevated when your phone is in sight or nearby, or when you hear it or even think you hear it. This creates “a constant sense of obligation, generating unintended personal stress” (NYT, 2019). 

Cortisol triggers physiological changes, such as spikes in blood pressure, heart rate and blood sugar, which helps us react to and survive acute physical threats. In so many words, our phone is chronically taxing our bodies, especially if you spend prolonged periods of time on your phone throughout the day. 

What can you do to combat this?

1. Prioritize screen free time throughout your day, especially during time with your partner/family. Intentions follow action. 

2. Examine the purpose of your social media usage. Are you using it the way you’re intending too? (ex: purpose- engaging with friends and family.) Are you overextending your stay online in a way that’s no longer serving you? (Aimless scrolling, etc)

3. Examine the content you’re sharing. What is the purpose of what you’re sharing? Do you feel like what you’re sharing reflects your values and who you are? Do the people who have access to your posts deserve to see/learn this about you? Could you save time by posting less? Do you notice yourself posting more at a particular time of day?

4. Understand what need social media is meeting for you. Are there other things that can fit this need to serve you better? (Painting, reading a book, exercising, etc.) 

If your sharing personal content about details in your life, are you seeking reassurance or connection? If you’re posting frequently, are you satisfying restlessness and boredom? 

Can you engage with your family, a pet, your community, or loved ones IRL to meet your needs instead?