How putting down your phone can change your routine and more…

One can hardly imagine a life without a phone. In the modern world, this gadget does more than just connect people. We reach out for our cells any time when we need to search for something online, listen to music or podcast while commuting, read a book or magazine at the time of queuing up somewhere, and much more. As I have realized recently all the benefits of the phone are not as innocent as we might think.

Reason 1: Slow handwriting

We should admit that nowadays we type more often than write something. Moreover, there are many features that are able to suggest the ending of what we are putting on paper. Hands down, it is convenient and time-saving. At least I thought so until recently when I had to write a handwritten leave request. I should say it was a nightmare as I had to rewrite it several times. And the problem was that my thoughts were running a lot faster than my hand could write. As a result, I missed some letters or on the contrary, added some extra syllables. Having discussed this situation with some of my colleagues I felt relieved as I wasn’t alone with this issue. We presumed that it is an obvious outcome of typing most of the time. My female curiosity forced me to immerse deeper into this question.

What I have discovered was quite shocking. Some scientists believe that by losing the ability to handwriting we kind of loses a bit of our individuality. That is because basically typed texts look very similar to one another. In other words, all of a sudden, all people have decided to wear the same Levies’ jeans and a white T-shirt. Whereas hand-written messages are more personalized. But there are some doubts as to whether we would be able to read such messages in the near future.

Another interesting thing is that in order to write legibly we should have well-developed motor control. So, does it mean that we are subconsciously giving up on that control over our ideas or delegating it to our gadgets…….

Some recent research has also shown that writing and typing are controlled by different parts of the brain. Ultimately it might mean that if we don’t practice handwriting regularly certain parts of our brains don’t work… Well, who knows what it can lead to?

Reason 2: Better night’s sleep

Have you ever noticed that the phone is the first thing we pick up in the morning and the last one before going to bed? At least most days it is this way. While scrolling the timeline on Instagram before bedtime the blue light from the screen decreases the level of melatonin. As a result, the quality of night sleep becomes worse. We feel tired in the morning, less tolerant to stressed situations with a low level of productivity. Not a bright picture…Again, the experts suggest that we put away the phone at least 30 minutes before bedtime. What can be done within this time gap is… listen to relaxing music, for instance, read a book or any other activity that can calm down the nerves and balance circadian rhythm.  As a result, we feel relaxed and full of energy in the morning, ready to tackle all sorts of situations with a positive attitude.

Reason 3: Illusion of fulfilled communication

Here we should be honest! When we message, we tend to make it short and informative. In most cases, the situation is the same with a phone or video calls. None of mentioned above ways can compete with real-life chats. I agree that in the time of pandemic all those means of communication are way out. But anyway being physically in the same environment while having a chat opens the door to another dimension. As we can see the facial expressions of our companions, read their body language, and at the same time broadcast additional information as well. Being in the moment is what exactly makes the communication unique and fulfilling. Unfortunately, modern technology enables us to exchange surface information, but whether it can substitute soul to soul conversation is a matter of each individual’s preferences.

Reason 4: Winning time

Statistically speaking, the average young person spends around five hours per day with their phones. At the same time if we invite someone to go out, in most cases a person will refuse to justify it because of the lack of time. The same way we treat ourselves saying that I wish to read a book, but no time. I’d rather try a new hobby, but there is not enough time. How often we wish to have some extra hours a day. At the same time to enjoy a book you just need an hour. A little more to take up a new hobby. So, you know where to get this precious time.

The bottom line

Here are just a few reasons calling for putting down your cell phones and dedicating that extra time to something you have been wanting to do for such a long time. And of course! Being in the moment of enjoying your coffee!