(Alanna Ketler) There is no doubt about it, screens have become a central part of many of our lives. From the moment we wake up and turn off our alarms and do a quick check of Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter notifications, email, and other apps — screens have the capacity to suck us in, right from the start of the day. The act of checking our screens has become so common nowadays that many of us spend the majority of our waking lives staring at various screens including smartphones, tablets, and computers.
Related 5 Powerful Books For Spiritual Awakening, Mysticism and Magic
by Alanna Ketler, December 4th, 2019
There are some people who argue that before smartphones and tablets, it was the television set, and before that, the radio, and before that, the newspaper. However, we can’t ignore the fact that it is currently an epidemic, as many people (myself included at times) are so sucked into this virtual reality, they do not realize that it is a potentially harmful addiction.
Some believe that this type of technology is just a natural part of human evolution and that in may ways it benefits our lives. To a degree, this is true, as there are many amazing perks of technology and it absolutely can be used to benefit our lives — being able to access any information we are seeking, learning a new language, instrument, or practically anything we want, attending online courses, webinars or education programs, connecting with loved ones that are far way. But really think about your screen time and how it’s spent. Is it benefiting your life in any way? Or is it a compulsive habit? Whenever you have a spare moment–waiting in line, in an elevator, whenever you feel that you are bored–is that when you reach for your phone? Are you mindlessly scrolling through your Newsfeed, photofeed or Twitter feed? Potentially comparing your life to others, getting lost looking at the pictures from people you hardly know? Obsessing over celebrities and “influencers” that actually provide no value to your life? Sometimes we might have the T.V. on, watching a show, whilst at the same time mindlessly scrolling through our feeds. This is a double screen-time wham-o! Essentially getting lost in whatever is available to take you away from yourself and basically inhibit your ability to give love, care and attention to yourself.
We Are Wasting Valuable Time
Many of us, again often including myself, have dealt with a deep dissatisfaction with our lives — maybe we are not happy with our careers or our relationships, or perhaps we lack purpose, passion and drive. Yet, instead of doing something that could benefit ourselves, we instead choose to escape those feelings. We reach for our screens in a desperate attempt to get our next “fix,” our dopamine hit that gives us temporary relief from our dissatisfaction with our lives. This IS an addiction and it is important to be aware of that. What would happen if instead, we leaned into our feelings of discomfort and spent time in deep reflection about what is working in our lives and what’s not?
Using Tech To Help Moderate Our Use Of Tech
A great tool for me has been an app called “Moment” that basically tracks your screen time and how much time has been spent on each app. Without consciously trying to change your screen time habits, I challenge you to download this app and check out your screen time at the end of each day. Much like I was, you may be surprised to learn how much time you might be completely throwing away on social media.
After all, “Lost time is never found again.”
If you’re like me, you may be thinking, “Well, what the heck else am I supposed to be doing?” And you may still enjoy spending some time on social media, but as with pretty much everything else in life, moderation is key! You may want to try setting a daily limit for screen time for yourself and sticking to it. If you can’t, then you know you may have a problem worth exploring.
50 Things You Can Do Instead Of Staring At A Screen
Below I have provided a list of 50 things you could be doing instead of scrolling or staring at a screen. While some of these are going to seem extremely obvious, you may not always think of them when you are sucked into the glowing light of a screen. This is meant to be a quick reference, it may be even beneficial to print this list off or copy it onto a physical piece of paper so that you ironically don’t need a screen to view it.
- Read a book
- Read a magazine
- Go for a walk
- Go for a hike
- Clean out your closet
- Write in your journal
- Play an instrument
- Play with your pet
- Practice a new language
- Listen to a podcast
- Draw a picture
- Paint a picture
- Literally sit and do nothing
- Meditate
- Stretch
- Do yoga
- Go to the gym
- Workout from home
- Call up a friend (use headphones or speakerphone to chat)
- Write a letter you intend to send
- Write a letter you don’t intend to send
- Plan out tasks you intend to accomplish within the next week
- Bake something
- Cook something
- Meet a friend for tea
- Play a board game or cards
- Go swimming
- Do a massage exchange with a friend
- Redecorate your home
- Give yourself an opportunity to really feel your feelings
- Notice the urge to reach for your phone
- Practice grounding
- Volunteer your time
- Go to a comedy show
- Listen to music
- Color
- Write a list of 10 things you are grateful for
- Go to the library
- Try something new
- Sit in quiet reflection
- Study something that sparks your interest using books
- Get clear on your vision for the next 5 years of your life
- Go to a Meetup group
- Dance around your living room
- Practice eye-gazing with yourself in the mirror, or with someone else
- Clean out your fridge
- Take a cold shower
- Have a bath
- Downsize your belongings
- Repair something that is broken
Bonus* Make a list of things that you’ve always wanted to do, but felt like you haven’t had the time.
Much Love
Buy Book God’s Blueprint: Scientific Evidence that the Earth was Created to Produce Humans
About The Author
found on Natural Blaze
Stillness in the Storm Editor: Why did we post this?
Why bother trying to improve yourself? Because the self the venue through which you experience everything, including, taking action in the world. But the self isn’t like a car, it doesn’t just work—it takes work to make it work for you. The self is not only the thing you use to experience the world but it’s the thing you’re discovering through your exploration of the world. What’s more, it’s also the thing you’re creating through your actions and thought processes. Oddly enough, the self is the thing we have the most control over and is the most influential in our lives, despite its elusive nature, it makes sense that trying to improve ourselves is arguably the master key to success in all areas of life. The preceding information discusses the importance of self-work, speaking to techniques, psychology, philosophy, or spirituality. Put simply, there are two choices in life: develop control and mastery over the animal self or let your animal instincts and fears control your life. For many, the tools needed to gain control and liberation therefrom are not available, and so the quest to improve the self seems worthless. But suffering in general is one of many spiritual influences that motivate the individual to become the best version of themselves. This sacred call to realize your full potential is something almost everyone feels at some point in their lives. Those who step forward in this path, despite life’s hardships, transcend suffering and become active players in the Great Work of making the world a better place through their very being.
– Justin
Not sure how to make sense of this? Want to learn how to discern like a pro? Read this essential guide to discernment, analysis of claims, and understanding the truth in a world of deception: 4 Key Steps of Discernment – Advanced Truth-Seeking Tools.
Stillness in the Storm Editor’s note: Did you find a spelling error or grammatical mistake? Send an email to [email protected], with the error and suggested correction, along with the headline and url. Do you think this article needs an update? Or do you just have some feedback? Send us an email at [email protected]. Thank you for reading.
Source:
Leave a Reply