Be Present

Recently, I have noticed that I have been attached to my phone. I don’t know why are when it happened, but this week has been the worst I have been in awhile. It took me a few days to notice, but now that it started it is hard to get out of the habit.

I am very thankful I don’t have kids yet, so I can kick this behavior long before they are around. But it does make me feel bad for Mimi. She isn’t an attention seeking dog, so I am thankful that I’m not neglecting her in that realm. I feel that I should start enjoying watching her play in the yard, or go join her once in awhile. Dogs only have a limited time on this Earth, so I want to make sure that I can remember how happy she is. It does make me wonder though. If I am like this with her, how do I know that I won’t be like this with kids?

Right now, I believe there is a huge epidemic with people not being present in the moment. Anywhere you walk, there are countless people looking down at there phones instead of looking around them. I have started to take less pictures when we go places, because I want to make sure that I am fully enjoying it through my eyes and not a lens. We need to wake up, phones are purposefully addictive. I have noticed that when I am on my phone more, I get mad when Shaun asks me to get off of it. I shouldn’t be having that type of reaction when my husband asks me to hang out with him. That is how I know that it is a problem.

Usually, when one bad habit starts, they all start happening. One way to start changing is by taking the temptation away. When I don’t have my phone in sight, then I don’t even think about it. I also make sure that my notifications are turned off, because as soon as I hear that ding then I am on it. Otherwise, you can put timers on your apps. Samsung has a built in feature that does it, otherwise there are probably apps you can find for Apple. Another way, is if you are stuck in the scroll and once you catch yourself, count down from 5 and get off of it. Keep it away from you so you aren’t tempted to get back on.

Relationships thrive when they are given attention and cared for. Facebook and Instagram does gain anything emotionally if you are scrolling on them. So, think about the physical people that are around you and give them the attention they deserve instead of the 2D people on your phone.

From Your Life Tutor
-Sam