It’s a Love-Hate Relationship

Our phones are really useful tools, but we don’t realize they’re taking over our lives. Is there really a problem with enjoying your phone? Is it crazy that you both love and hate it at the same time? 

According to a recent study, these are the top five mental wellbeing problems for adolescents (13-17)[1]:

• Feelings of Sadness, Distress, or Hopelessness

• Guilt and Blame

• Fear and Anxiety

• Unwanted, Strange, or Obsessive Thoughts

• Sense of Being Detached from Reality

These problems are all associated with phone or tablet ownership at a young age. 

Do you find yourself struggling with any of these things? You’re not alone! And there is hope. You can reclaim your emotional and mental wellbeing. 

While it’s not always possible to completely go without a cellphone, here are some suggestions for getting away from the screens and reconnecting with the people and world around you: 

YOURSELF:

• Journaling and reflection. Try setting yourself a daily mindfulness goal, like 10 minutes, and choose to sit still and do nothing. No music, no screen, just you. Journal about it afterwards, if you like. 

• Hobbies that involve your senses: music, sports, acting, paper and thread crafts, art, DIY projects, etc. 

• Think about and develop your personal convictions. If you’re religious or spiritual, spend some time growing in your faith, praying, and reading holy books. If you aren’t religious or spiritual, deepen your convictions that guide your life by reading and pondering books about them.

  YOUR LOVED ONES:

• Hang out with friends in person and keep phones in the “parking garage” in purses or a place where you can’t feel every buzz and hear every notification.

• Engage in micro-interactions: chat between classes, talk while eating dinner, give a high five, etc. 

  YOUR WORLD:

• Walk out in nature, without earbuds in.

• Go out to fun, free, or low-cost places like zoos, conservatories, museums, parks, malls, petting zoos, animal cafes or shelters, etc.