3 Ways To Not Let Your Smartphone Hinder Your Confidence

It’s 2013 and owning a smartphone is just like owning a pair of underwear. It’s pretty normal to assume that everyone does and those who don’t are just plain odd. But just as ‘going commando’ can sometimes represent an investment in a man’s confidence so can the decision to cut down on the use of your technological sidekick. As with most things, balance is key. Don’t let the social advantage of the smartphone outweigh the detriment to your real-world persona. Here are 3 practical ways to not let your smartphone hinder your confidence...

1.Re-Embrace The Present –

Heads up! Keep your focus! Your confidence as a man is largely rooted in your awareness of your present circumstances and how conscious you are of your environment. When you over use your smartphone, you have a constant portal to a world apart. Your body might be in one place but your mind has trouble fighting the temptation of engaging yourself in the digital universe that's just a reach in your pocket away. As a result, your lack of presence becomes evident in an incomplete processing of the stimulation and information that is coming at you in real-time.

Try making a conscious effort to leave your phone at home when you don't really need it or in your pocket the whole time you are out to dinner. You'll notice yourself becoming a better listener with an increased awareness of what is going on around you. Others will take notice as well and your confidence will rise.

2.Eliminate the Anxiety of Under Exposure

Since our smartphones act as a mobile gateway to the information super-highway, we sometimes experience a separation anxiety from the limitless potential of consumable information that it has to offer. This anxiety often translates to a diminished ability to let your mind rest, which can be directly related to deflated confidence. Next time you are observing someone using their smartphone, watch how many times they look, lock, re-look, re-lock, repeat... not a sign of someone comfortable in their own skin.

Even though we are all subject to this Anxiety of Under Exposure, the trick is to teach yourself to take a break from the constant stream of News, Sports, Texts & Emails and realize that the constant need to consume information is actually working against you finding peace within yourself.

3.Fight Your Disillusioned Social Connection

The danger with your mobile access to Facebook, Twitter, Email, Instagram (The list goes on) is the development of a false sense of connection to all the people you 'know'. As social beings, we tend to let our confidence sustain damage from a perceived disconnect from our social network. While checking status updates and friend's Instagram photos might work to temporarily satiate your desire for social connection, you are destined to wonder why your high-volume of friends translates to long periods of time without calls or texts. Don't create a false-sense of loneliness when you have periods of telephonic silence. Your sad and blank stares at a message-less screen are the result of an over-estimation of your social connection. Your best bet is to re-invest in your face-to-face connections and create more genuine and lasting relationships with greater substance than your digital acquaintances.

The smartphones that we yield can be wonderful tools for establishing a greater connection to the world around us but they can also have negative effects on our ability to find comfort and confidence in our daily lives. By avoiding over-utilization and being conscious of the above practices, we can ensure that our non-digital self can remain void of the anxieties that are brought to us by this revolutionary technology. If your having trouble with these practices, don't be afraid to practice going commando and leaving the phone and the underwear at home. I promise it will be one of the most freeing experiences you've had in quite some time.

Sincerely,

The Bigger Man