As I sat this morning and people watched, I happened to notice everyone (and I mean everyone) looking down at their cell phones. This is not an unusual sight these days and I often hear people make negative comments about it, yet we all do it! I started to wonder what this is doing to our physical and mental health. Here’s just a little of what I’ve found:
- Being on your phone is affecting your spine! A study found that when you tilt your head 60 degrees to stare at your phone, you’re putting 60 pounds of pressure on your neck. This is most certainly going to wreak havoc on your neck, shoulder, and back tension creating pain! Just be aware of your alignment when scrolling or texting on your phone! Keep your head up and hold your phone out in front of you.
- You may develop tension headaches due to digital eye strain! We’ve all heard the saying that staring at a tv or computer will hurt your eyes…but there is actual truth to that! Research shows that a main reason we develop eye strain from looking at screens is due to the dark text on a bright screen. If you struggle with temple headaches, try adjusting the contrast on your screen.
- Have you been feeling a bit anxious lately? There has been a steady increase in anxiety in the USA over the last 8 years. With the amount information at our fingertips, we’ve become Dr. Google when it comes to figuring out what’s going on with us! Because we’re self-diagnosing ailments…we could be essentially contributing to our own anxiety! Try researching stress relieving techniques or something positive that motivates you instead of things that worry you! Maybe – just maybe – you’ll start feeling a little less anxious!
Do your children or grandchildren enjoy screen-time too? What electronics are doing to our kids brains is IN-SANE! You’ve got to read this article! [Psychology Today Article]
I’m not by any means saying devices are evil and ruining society. I just think the amount of time we spend on them should be balanced with the amount of time we spend not on them. The level of stress we remain under day after day is directly linked with our mental and physical health. So, you potentially have the ability to alleviate some disfunction in your body by making a minor adjustment to your daily screen time. If you could feel dramatically better by making a small change…would you?