6 Reasons We Should All Take A Break From Our Phones
In this technology driven era, it’s always a good idea to remind ourselves that we’re not reliant on our devices and we can in fact live life without them. Taking a temporary break from our phones is the perfect way to do this, and here’s why everyone should give it a go:
1. It’s liberating
Being without a phone may cause you to feel a little lost at first, as if you’ve lost a part of yourself. However, this feeling quickly turns into a newfound sense of freedom as you’re not subconsciously watching a screen, waiting for notifications to appear. It’s not until you’re without a phone that you realise just how much time you normally spend on it, it’s in your hand so often that it’s become an extra body part. Removing it is as liberating as taking your bra off at the end of a long, hot day, or getting a fresh hair cut that makes you feel as light as air itself.
2. You’re more productive
No matter how much we tell ourselves we don’t get distracted by our phones, the fact is that without them, our lives are more efficient. Our increased productivity is especially noticeable at work or when studying as when that tired, bored feeling creeps in, the temptation to reach for your phone isn’t there. You’re far more likely to keep on working and get the job done.
3. You become more aware of your surroundings and are forced to use your initiative
Leaving home without a phone is an obscure prospect in this day and age, making us wonder how people ever went about their daily lives before they were invented. However, just walking down the street you’ve walked down countless times before, you’ll find you pay a lot more attention to your surroundings, noticing things you’ve never noticed before when your eyes have been locked down on your phone screen. You’ll start reading signs; looking in shop windows; recognising people. Not to mention, you’ll be forced to solve problems when out and about that you would usually rely on your phone for, e.g. finding new places without Google Maps.
4. You get a break from the radiation no one talks about
The health implications associated with frequent mobile phone use are often overlooked as the devices are such a huge, normalised part of our lives. The reality is that our phones are constantly emitting radiation which can potentially increase our risk of developing cancer, particularly brain tumours, as our bodies absorb these radio waves. For those of us who talk on the phone a lot, our brain’s glucose levels decrease, essentially meaning less ‘brain fuel’ to think, speak and move, hence the widespread claim that phones are making us brain dead (a slight exaggeration I feel). Even if taking regular breaks from our phones doesn’t have significant physical health benefits, it definitely has mental health advantages as it prevents addiction and encourages face to face interaction.
5. You rest your eyes
Another health-related benefit of the temporary absence of a phone is giving your eyes a chance to recover from constant screen time. Especially if you’re working with a computer screen all day and spending your evenings planted in front of the TV, give your eyes a break from at least one screen! The blue light from these devices damages your retina by causing the eye to produce retinal which chemically reacts and poisons the photoreceptor cells which can’t regenerate, leading to vision impairment.
6. It’s one less thing to worry about losing
If you live in a big city, you’ll know the feeling of being on guard every time you leave the house, weary of pick pocketers smoothly sweeping your phone away. And if it’s not other people you’re worried about, then it’s yourself. The fear of leaving your phone on public transport; dropping it down a drain; smashing it on concrete; losing it down the toilet, is a daily worry which often sends you into false panic or gives you that dreaded sinking stomach feeling. Well, guess what? No phone equals no worries – if you have nothing to begin with then you have nothing to lose – relax!
