Written by: Erin Vogt, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Assessing our everyday health habits and results gives us a glimpse at what can make positive shifts to improve our wellness; physical, emotional, social, spiritual and mental. In Canada, about 50% of the population will have a mental illness by age 40. The ripple effect of this reality affects families, workplaces, parent-child relationships, and marriages.
Seeking outside support is not always an easy task, and it is necessary. At what cost are we allowing our mental health and wellness to go unchecked? This cost is most evident when considering how the scope of the online world affects our mental health and overall wellness.
As parents, partners, and entrepreneurs, where are we spending our time, attention and focus? According to Finances Online, we are engaging in a daily average of 2,617 clicks, taps or swiping on smartphones or mobile devices. The cost is enormous for us individually and within our families. Perhaps it is time to shift from the immediate to the planned and allow for other areas of dopamine hits. Ones that promote positive health outcomes rather than sabotage previous efforts and affect our overall quality of life.
Intellectually we realize that choosing healthy foods, moving our body, going to bed at a decent hour (without the phone on the bedside table) and making time for relaxation are ideal. Are they possible? Yes. We control the habits we choose to do or not do. What is in the gap? Habitual behaviour, cravings for instant gratification, workaholic drive, and technology. These are my gaps, and perhaps they are yours too. If our focus constantly diverts, it is impossible to think straight and thoroughly drill into a single task.
If we are not taking care of number one, this is a strenuous task to care for others the way we envision. Especially our children. The good news is that these are areas that are in our control. Our habits are the number one determiners of our quality of life. If we can make small shifts over time with what we consume, how we show up, and create non-negotiables in our planners, we will find improvements in many areas of our life.
Screen time, though a pervasive part of our world, does not have to become a health-destroying factor, limiting us from taking care of ourselves. Establishing balance and time away to unplug is possible when we understand why we are choosing it.
Try on these Screentime Management Statements:
I will commit to unplugging from my phone at ______(time)____________, on ______(day of week) _________
Instead of answering emails or checking social media I choose to _________________
The other people in my life who benefit from this habit change are ________________
Non-screen activities I choose to do instead are__________________________
Create a Nourishment Menu for yourself that outlines what you enjoy experiencing. When you feel the urge to grab your phone to "just check" what's happening, turn to some health-promoting activities to nurture your self-care and family time.
7 Nourishing Ideas:
Pull out old photo albums and return to sweet memories (not in your phone's Photo folder)
Pick and make one recipe from a book you have meant to make.
Dust off an old book you intended to read or re-read one of your favourites.
Take a Colour Walk outside. Choose one colour to focus on and see how many items you can see that is only that colour.
Schedule a regular dance party with your kids or grandkids.
Have a balloon or beach ball on hand at all times. No matter your age, automatic fun is built into bopping these around your house.
Play catch with socks from the top and bottom of your stairs.
The most uncomplicated joy can come from the most direct connections made in innocent play.
Want to unleash stress? Click here to access my Release from Stress Now Quick Guide to help you clarify the stressors occupying your mind and how to champion through them in just 15 minutes.
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Erin Vogt, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Erin Vogt is a Transformation Coach focused on mental wellness for women. Overcoming years of extreme stress and depression, Vogt helps women create freedom from overwhelm and exhaustion by making lasting changes in their health habits. She shows women how to unshackle from guilt and shame to find their authentic voice and confidently own their life. Erin is the Founder of Beyond Mom Club and runs the Creating Freedom for Women Community.
