I did a thing this morning.
I went in and turned off all notifications on my phone.
It sounds so stupid.
It sounds so trivial.
But I needed it.
Not only will I stop getting pop-up notifications, but that annoying, pesky little bubble that indirectly says, “Click me!” or “Look at me!” or “You’ve got nothing else going on, so let’s just dive into all the feeds” have been turned off too.
I read this article (which, ironically, I found through Instagram) that really shook me up and made me feel like I was draining my brain abilities.
I used to think it wasn’t a big deal when I would spend 20 minutes scrolling through Instagram or Twitter because it wasn’t like I was ignoring anything right in front of me. I’ve tried to be conscious about keeping my phone away when I’m hanging out with friends or having a conversation with someone. So, when I wasn’t doing one or the other, I thought it was OK to just throw myself in. It is, after all, such a great way to stay connected with my friends and family back in California.
But, after reading this article, I knew I needed to do more than set time limits and boundaries. Because it’s more than just the mindless scrolling through multiple feeds. It’s actually this conscious push-and-pull in my mind that sounds a little like,
“Okay, let me check my phone.”
“No, I shouldn’t check my phone.”
“Okay, maybe just one minute.”
“No, no, no, no.”
According to this article, “smart phones can diminish vital mental skills such as learning, logical reasoning, abstract thought, problem solving, and creativity. Just suppressing the desire to check our phone, which we do routinely and subconsciously throughout the day, can debilitate our thinking.”
Our phones have made it so easy to collect information online that our brains are offloading the work of remembering to technology.
Remember when you could memorize all your friends’ phone numbers in elementary school?
Now, not so much.
It took me almost a year to memorize my own husband’s phone number.
My brain is not as sharp as it once was.
Because search engines and smart phone notes are always available to us. So, if I need something, I can just look it up.
Anyway, I got a little spooked this weekend after reading it.
Which is why I’ve been a little silent on the blog and my Facebook page.
I’ll still be around. Obviously. I love writing and I love this space and I love connecting with others.
But it will be on my time.
Consciously.
And mindfully.
Questions of the Day:
- How do you keep your brain active and sharp?
- Do you experience brain drain? How do you
I get so frustrated with myself and the amount of times I check my phone, mindlessly scroll through my Instagram feed, notifications, etc. I gave up social media for Lent and so I was only checking my phone once a week on Sundays. It was so relieving to be away from my phone. Granted, I filled my time with Netflix. I want to move towards not pacifying myself with media and instead get back into the real world, be more creative, think more, be bored, read books, etc.
So true. I think we can always retrain our brains. It’s never too late <3
I have the do not disturb feature turned on my phone so that once the boys are home from school, I don’t get notifications from social media. Technology sure has made it easy to have information at our fingertips. The other day my oldest was doing homework and was asking Google home for help. I made him get out his book and look it up LOL . Google is not allowed to help anymore on homework unless it has been looked for in the book and we have tried to help him with it too! Last resort! LOL
Kim M recently posted…Menu Plan Monday: October 16th
That is so awesome! I have set times for phone time and the rest of the time I set it away so I’m not tempted. Turning off notifications helps a ton too, if I see a banner pop up on my phone I definitely feel the need to clear it away. I have pretty much all notifications turned off now too.
Beth recently posted…Weekend Happenings 10.16.17
It’s crazy how much power our phones have over us…I would love to try this, too. Each morning I wake up to notifications it feels stressful, like I need to dive in and check emails and respond to issues at work, when really mornings used to be my time. My time to caffeinate. My time to walk the pup and ease in and stretch and enjoy.
Thanks for sharing and good in you for shutting off those pesky notifications!!
Charlotte recently posted…A box of goodies to celebrate Peace, Love, and Yoga
Yes! I use my phone as a nightlight to walk to the bathroom right when I wake up. (The thought of turning on our bedroom light is just stressful). So having the dim shine of my phone screen is really great. But, like you, I would just see all these pop-ups and felt like I needed to dive into my e-mail right away instead of giving my brain the opportunity to wake up on its own. Turning off notifications was the best thing for my morning time! I feel so much more relaxed!
I mindlessly check my phone all the time – it’s such a bad habit and I’ve been working on trying to break it. The other day at work I turned my phone completely off. It felt weird to do but I was so much more productive!
Corey | The Nostalgia Diaries recently posted…Sounds Old to Me: 19 More New Songs with a Vintage, Throwback Vibe
I really can’t believe sometimes how easy it can be to just spend time on social media or my phone without even realizing it. I’ve been sick and definitely have spent more time on my phone, but also am reminded how half the time it’s really just out of boredom and habit, not because I have a reason to check it.
Katie recently posted…How I’m Preparing For Yoga Teacher Training
I always turn off all notifications. I’m glad I have since I don’t need something popping up all the time. I still check my phone way to often, and get stuck in the “scroll zone”, which is something I am working on.
Danielle @ A Sprinkle of Joy recently posted…$10 Target Challenge {October 2017}
Ugh I’m so guilty of being addicted to social media, especially instagram. It’s like I don’t even realize my thumb moves to open the app. I’ve started doing instagram-free Saturday’s and it feels like such a breath of fresh air. I still need to be on IG as part of what I do, but that one day without it has been so helpful to reset my habit
I’ve only had a smart phone or maybe a year or so now, so I’m actually pretty good at ignoring it. I do have those moments where I’m looking at social media, etc. but it’s not as common. I try and bring books with me places if I can because I’d rather read.
ShootingStarsMag recently posted…Girl’s Weekend in Louisville, Kentucky
This is pretty scary. I do my best to leave my house without my phone a few days a week (even if it’s only for a while). Sadly before I had a smartphone I read books more and was more active – ouch! Great reminder to be mindful of how addictive they can be.
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I can definitely relate!!
This is so interesting! I’m addicted to my phone and this is another reason I need to put it down. 🙂
I try put my phone away in the evenings as it can be such a distraction.
My memory before I got a smartphone was so much better.
I read this and ironically today I left my phone at home. It has actually been a really productive day and I haven’t missed checking my timeline once!
I can admit that I am a bit addicted to my phone. However, I can also admit that I am not AS addicted as some people I have seen/teenagers of today – so… WINNING! lol!!
GiGi recently posted…Come Get Some Hot Buns!
I can relate to this so much! It’s definitely an addiction, especially at night time when I should go to bed but check my phone too much.
Relatable and Insightful article. Great job. Such a good reminder to set boundaries in an area we all struggle with.
I do experience brain drain no question. I like to recharge by going camping for a weekend every now and then. No technology allowed, and sometimes no people either. Alone with just my dog in nature helps me stay focused. Thanks for posting this to remind us all to spend a little less time on our smartphones and a little more time interacting with one another!
Technology is very helpful. It has also made us very lazy in terms of memorising stuff as you said. To be honest trying to keep up with all the notifications stresses me out. I have to take breaks from the devices for my sanity .
Such a good idea. I need to do this. I feel like I’m glued to my phone some days. The second it buzzes I’m looking at it.
I read that article too. It was a good one. Luckily, I had turned off notifications a long time ago (the only things I let get through is text messages) and only allow myself to check email/social media a few times a day. (Sometimes that works quite well.)
San recently posted…October Link Love
I can relate to this article but need my smartphone for my work, which means I am on it most of the day. Instead, now I try to avoid it when I am with my kids.
It’s so easy to get sucked in. I didn’t use any social media for 1 month and I was surprised as to how much more time I had to do other things. It’s crazy!
This is such a great reminder of the damage smart phones can have on our mind. I have also shut off my notifications because I was obsessively checking apps just to get the little number to go away!