Are you using your cell phone way too much? Our cell phones are so much more than the simple telephone that was in the late 1880s and early 1990s. We don’t just use them to call people; they are computers in our pockets that not only hold all of the world's knowledge at the touch of a fingertip but can perform thousands of functions. It is no wonder why so many people use their phones far more than they use their computers and laptops. It travels with us to work, the mall, and even the bathroom.

Are you guilty of Mindless Scrolling?

According to top researchers, we are using our cell phones too much. Everyone is using their cell phone too much and YES, it’s a society-wide problem. However, researchers have found that the main reason why people use their cell phones so much is because of mindless scrolling. When people are bored, or not entertained by something, or generally have nothing to do, they're far more likely to pull out their cell phone and start scrolling through their cluster of apps. Also, when people experience social anxiety when they are in the presence of others, they are not familiar with or going through a bad time in their life and they don't dwell on their extremely negative thoughts, they also want to pull out their cell phones and start scrolling.

Do you just use your cell phone for entertainment?

Since the main reason why we phone scroll so much activity to do to entertain ourselves, researchers have found that the average person is far more likely to reduce their cell phone usage through mindfulness. Mindfulness is when a person consciously acknowledges the activities, they are engaging in. When a person engages in mindfulness, over a short period, they will develop stronger and more level emotional and rational control over their mental-physical powers. In order to practice mindfulness, it is important to practice. Here are 10 tips that will help below (2019, August 26).

Here are some tips that will help you stay mindful during the day when teaching:

1. Breathe: Stop what your doing, close your eyes and take a deep breath, notice your breathing, body, and thoughts.

2. Body Scan: Do a quick body scan, relax soften your muscles with each exhale.

3. Gratitude: Express gratitude for the moment, and your presence.

4. Scent: Maybe defusers, oils and smells help; lavender is my favorite sometimes I may suck on a peppermint this helps as well.

5. Senses: Engage in your senses of what’s around you.

6. Mindfulness Eating: Embrace the textures and taste of your food, and express gratitude for the nourishment.

7. Heart: Check your heartbeat and how your breathing and continue deep breathing

8. Meditation: Ask yourself am I … Happy? Healthy? and Safe? Change the question to a statement: I am… then we are…

9. Daily: Increase these practices in every aspect of your day becoming aware of everything. ie. (Washing dishes; the warm soap and water massaging my skin as I wash a plate)

10. Walk: Take a walk, breathe and gather your thoughts. (I sometimes walk to my car, or around the school)

Start Today with Mindfulness; Don’t wait!

If someone wants to change their behaviors they can do it immediately. There are some apps that can help by pairing down the time you are on your phone, alerting you when you need to get up and walk, and some apps share when would be a good time to meditate. These apps can be helpful because they will show you the information in the form of visualizing graphs and charts so you can see exactly where you spend too much time (Agarwal & Shubham, 2021). There are so many things out there but the immediate goal is to put down technology and be aware of your body, mind, and to become present in the moment.

 References

 Agarwal, S., & Shubham Agarwal (136 Articles Published). (2021, September 28). How I cut my smartphone usage in half: 8 changes that worked. MUO. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/cut-smartphone-usage-changes/.  

Kruer, A. (2019, August 26). 10 ways to practice mindfulness without an app. Echeveria Psychotherapy Collective. Retrieved November 26, 2021, from https://www.echeveriatherapy.com/blog/10-ways-to-practice-mindfulness-without-an-app.

Taylor, J. (2018, December 15). Study shows that cell phones reduce overall mindfulness. Alltop Viral. Retrieved November 15, 2021, from https://alltop.com/viral/study-shows-cell-phones-reduce-overall-mindfulness.  

W., & Wheelwright, T. (2021, September 6). Cell phone behavior survey: Are people addicted to their phones? Reviews.org. Retrieved November 26, 2021, from https://www.reviews.org/mobile/cell-phone-addiction/.