The thing about smartphones


Recently I’ve been selling my gratitude goods at my local farmer’s market and have been meeting so many great people who stop by to talk gratitude, make a thank you card with their kids, or buy a book, shirt or candle. 

A few weeks ago, a young man in his twenties named Peter shared with me that “writing stuff down” (i.e. what he is grateful for) has been really helpful for him.

I told him about my free app so he could practice gratitude right on his phone. 

What he said next was shocking.

He told me he doesn’t have an iPhone anymore.

“That’s ok,” I said. “It works on Android too.”

“No,” he said. “I have a flip phone. I find I’m much happier without a smart phone.”

“I believe it,” I said. 

“Yeah, but my generation has it so much worse,” he said.

“Good for you that you made that switch,” I said. 

In the past year especially, I have seen more and more articles about the link between smart phones and depression, anxiety and even suicide, especially in teens and young adults.

On the plus side, our phones keep us connected, informed, and able to record and share our experiences instantly. 

The downside is they take us away from actually living and experiencing life in the moment (which by the way is the key to happiness). Tweet this!

What Peter has done for himself is profound.

He has stepped away from the cultural norm and found what works for him. Kudos to Peter for having that courage!!!

He made me think, what are some things I have done to make myself happier?

Here’s what I came up with:

  • I have learned to prioritize sleep. 
  • I have found what foods make me feel good and I avoid those that don’t. 
  • I make an effort to schedule fewer activities for myself and my family, recognizing that less is more. 

These things may not seem like much, but they are actually the foundation for MY happiness and it’s taken me years to fully embrace these things in my life. These things are what happened for me when I started to focus on creating bliss.

My next goal? To limit my phone usage to designated times during the day like only noon-12:15 and 5-5:15pm. I’m already excited to see what I’ll do with all that extra time!

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the documentary, The Minimalists. It’s really quite fascinating. 

What’s something you can do to make yourself happier? Please share below!

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Tiago Almeida on Unsplash
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