There is so much I love about technology. It allows me to stay in touch with my friends and family from all over the world, especially when we’re traveling in far away places. I use it for my business, obviously. I use it to homeschool my 3 kiddos. And just like everyone else I use it as a source of entertainment from games to streaming TV shows and movies (even in the #the.happybus).
But it can be a bit of a Technology Trap because studies have shown that too much technology can lead to higher levels of depression, sleep disorders, and even anxiety.
Our current world revolves around it, so how do we find the balance? Through Mindfulness!
Here are 5 Tips to be More Mindful with Technology.
- Use your device with Mindfulness and not Mindlessness. Have you ever gone to look something up and realized you forgot what you were looking up because you got distracted by something that popped up on your device or a notification? It sure has for me.
- Set Limits for yourself and your kids. Sure technology is good and lots of times fun but like all good things, use it in moderation. Set limits and give frequent breaks. Since I homeschool my kids using an education streaming program they are often on their tablets. I give them frequent breaks as well as Mindful Yoga Breaks throughout the day and try to structure non-technology time.
- Put your device down at night. Do you ever put off sleep not because you’re not tired but you finally got some undisturbed time to yourself and you just don’t want to give it up to the night quite yet? That is so me! So I find myself staying up just to enjoy the quiet but then I find myself, because I’m tired, just scrolling through social media and before you know it I’m caught in the ‘comparison trap’ and maybe even feeling bad about myself because I didn’t make that perfect bagged lunch as ‘Suzie” did from Pinterest? And now you’re taking this negative feeling and negative self talk to the bed with you.
- Remove certain apps from your phone that you know are a Technology Trap Trigger for you. It can be the Shopping app where you ‘online window shop’ endlessly or the social media apps that you scroll for more minutes or hours than you can recall. Or is it an app that you end up wandering endlessly following the rabbit hole and keeping you distracted and unconnected to those around you?
- Put it ALL down and GO OUTSIDE! This is also the theme for this month’s YoPlay Yoga For Kids Lesson Plan – Let’s Go Outside & YoPlay. I have noticed and studies have shown that we are connecting less with each other and even lesser with our natural world because of technology. How many times do you have to beg your kids to get off their device when you have company over or even their own friends? Or how many times have you had to ask them to get off technology so they can do their chores? Or how many times have you had to ask your kids to get off the technology and go outside and play!
Here’s More from Mindfulness Month
I got together with my friends at Mindfulness Month: Yoga for Kids & Families to chat about our favorite mindful technology tips and tools we use with our own kids. Check out our chat here.
Put it into Practice with a Mindful Activity
Would you like to learn about some yoga and mindfulness activities? This month’s Mindfulness Activity is all about connecting more to nature than to technology? Try this FREE Mindfulness Activity.
