agardner
Wednesday, September 19, 2018 - 13:18
Whether you’re tied to your smart phone because of work or you just like feeling connected, that constant attachment to the world may leave your internal battery drained.  The constant buzz of incoming messages, notifications, and breaking news at our fingertips can have a negative impact on our mental health unless we learn to take breaks and disconnect once and a while. 


The Impact of Being Connected

Experts estimate that adults check their smart phones 150 times each day, or roughly once every six minutes, and send an average of 110 text messages each day.  The constant stream of technology, availability, and feeling of connection interrupts our body’s natural process of shutting down the nervous system to reboot. Instead of a break, our body is in constant fight-or-flight mode anticipating the next headline, notification, or text message.

Every time we bend over our screens, we are also disconnecting from person to person contact, which is necessary for optimal mental health.  The lack of person-to-person contact is making our lives lonelier and leaving us more prone to anxiety and depression.  According to researchers at San Diego State University, the generation born after 1995 that has never known life without a smart phone reports the highest levels of anxiety and depression. Not only are we giving up real life connections, but social media can have toxic effects on our mental health if left unchecked.

How to Unplug

  • Consider making certain areas of your life or home phone-free zones. Your next trip to FitClub is the perfect time to unplug.  Leave your phone behind and consider that time your phone-free time to unplug and unleash the endorphins you need for better mental and physical health.  While at home with your family, designate the dinner table a phone-free zone and spend that time interacting with your family or friends.

  • Turn your phone off an hour before you go to bed. Michigan State professor, Russell E. Johnson, believes that the light emitted from smartphones interrupts the body’s natural production of the hormone melatonin, which helps us fall asleep. Instead of scrolling through your favorite app while you lay in bed, turn your phone off an hour before bedtime and read a book, take a bath, or talk to a family member or friend.

  • Go outside and enjoy nature. Every minute that we spend on our smartphones is likely done while we are sitting indoors. Instead of spending your time mindlessly surfing the latest breaking news story, head outside for fresh air. You can also use this time to connect with your family, friends, or pets that are likely anxious to get outdoors for a walk.

  • Write it out. If you want to remember an important event, moment, or obligation, take the time to write it out with a pen and paper. Smartphones are great for allowing us to access a camera any time, but don’t miss out on the experience by relying on your phone to capture your memories.  The art of writing out what you experienced helps cement it in your own memory, rather than just your phone’s memory.


Learning to disconnect and unplug every day might suddenly seem foreign at first, but the advantages will improve your mental and physical health.  Try unplugging for a week and let us know how your life changed!