5 Reasons To Put The Phone Down

Because we could all use a little digital detox.

1. Physical Health

Via centerforspineandortho.com

Staring down at a cell phone can lead to some pretty bad long-term health issues. Neck and back pain are the most common side effects of tilting your head down to text 24/7. This can lead to stiffness and muscle soreness. Minimizing your cell phone use, standing up and stretching can help you avoid this!

2. Your FOMO is showing

Via hercampus.com

Fear Of Missing Out. We've all experienced it, and we all try to avoid it, but sometimes we don't even know we're doing it. When you're constantly texting, playing games or taking selfies, you're missing the world around you as well as being social with the people around you. Yes, it's still okay to shut out the world sometimes and finally beat level 87 on Candy Crush, but when you're in social situations: be present. Be there, be mindful and interact with your friends!

3. Media Envy

Via inspiration.allwomenstalk.com

Constant use of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat can cause people to envy others. The image that many people put out on their accounts often doesn't match what their life is actually like. Take for example, models on Instagram, their pages are aesthetically pleasing, they look to be in more interesting places than you are, and they always look perfect. What's not to envy? Having this constant interaction with projected self-images on the Internet isn't mentally healthy and can cause anxiety about one's appearance and even depression in some cases. Thought following these accounts is pleasing to the eye, the feeling of not being good enough comes out when we are bombarded with 'perfect' people's accounts, wishing our lives were as cool as theirs seem. A way around this is to focus on yourself, take time to notice all the cool aspects of your life and take time for yourself and your mental and physical health.

4. Human Interaction

Via pinterest.com

As scary as it sounds, human interaction is one of the most important aspects of our lives. It builds connections, our social skills and boosts our happiness. These kinds of connections cannot be built the same way electronically the way they are in person. Body language, facial expressions and physical touch such as hugging are all important aspects of building trust and friendship. By all means, use your device to connect with friends, but make sure you meet up and actually experience people for who they are. Better yet, hang out with friends but without your phones!

5. Safety

Via ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

You've probably been told at some point in your life never to text and drive. Aaand you've probably told that to yourself while doing it (oops). But seriously, distracted driving makes up for 80% of car collisions in Canada- not a statistic you want to be a part of. Even walking while texting can cause minor to major injuries to a person, not to mention it's rude to cut people off because you weren't paying attention. Learn to leave your phone alone when you operate any kind of vehicle, trust me, it's not that important that it can't wait until you're done. If you don't think it can wait, pull over!

Here's something to try...

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