This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on April 5, 2021 - April 11, 2021
In this era that we live in, it is almost impossible to go anywhere without our smartphones. In fact, we are even glued to it at home. It is usually the first thing we reach out for upon waking up and many of us keep scrolling through it while we are eating and drinking, and even in between other activities.
For many of us, this is not a choice, as work demands that we be constantly on the phone.
It would be good, however, to take a break every so often.
Here are a few ways you can untether yourself from your device, even if for just a while.
How long has it been since you immersed yourself in a good old-fashioned book? The kind with pages you have to turn with your fingers, rather than swipe on a screen? Or does your reading revolve only around news updates on Twitter and Facebook?
If you do not read books, you are definitely missing out. Good books have the potential to take you places.
But reading, although pleasurable, is not just for fun. It can also enhance your analytical skills. Say, you get into a particularly compelling murder mystery. Maybe you can solve the case before the end, following the trail of clues and applying logic, à la Hercule Poirot. The little grey cells, my friend, use the little grey cells.
When was the last time you enjoyed nature with no distractions or went for a walk without your phone?
Being outdoors does not necessarily mean you have to do extreme sports. You could easily just have a picnic or watch a sunrise (or sunset).
A University of Michigan study found that participants who took a memory test and then went for a walk in nature performed 20% better than those who went for a walk around town.
Keeping your phone at home gives your brain the much-needed break. It allows your mind to relax from the relentless stimulation of modern life.
You may not realise this, but the use of technology has damaged relationships. There is even a word to describe someone who is more interested in scrolling through their phone than talking to you when you are out for a meal or a get-together. It is “phubbing”, a portmanteau of “phone” and “snubbing”.
So, the next time you catch up with your friends, maybe you can all agree to put your phone on silent and not check it for, say, 30 minutes to an hour. And, then, really give them your attention, and get theirs in return.
Who knows? You may come to a better understanding of each other or repair a relationship that has been broken and ignored because of technology. Perhaps connections should not only happen on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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