DRIVING LESSONS: Shift e-habits to reap big benefits
CHL12:27 a.m. EDT August 10, 2014
Every once in awhile, I feel the urge to write something for your fridge door. What’s so fridge-worthy about today’s column? I want you and I — and the people we love — to protect ourselves.
Yes, ourcellves.
Consider
this your cheat sheet for how to thrive in the digital age.
See, it’s
not our imagination: we’re more tired, more exhausted by day, less able to
sleep deeply, less able to concentrate, focus and remember.
It’s not
our minds playing tricks on us: our kids are more restless, less responsive,
less interested in learning, reading, creating and exploring the world around
them.
It’s not
our perception of things: we are all kind of feeling out of it, less in sync
with our loved ones, less attentive and aware of all the goodness in our lives.
It’s not
our less-than-rosy colored glasses, none of us is overflowing with joy these
days.
What is
the malaise of the day?
Why the
low-grade nausea and perpetual fatigue?
Are we all
suffering from frog-in-boiling-water syndrome?
I want to
suggest some revitalizing tips to living with more of what we need and what by
shifting just a few small habits to reap big benefits for us and our families.
Let’s call
this the “Protect Ourcellves Project.”
POP for
short.
OK, my
friends, listen up.
That
rectangular thing in your hand — maybe you’re reading this in your palm right
now — it’s beautiful, no? It’s convenient! It’s handy! It helps you connect to
the world in a half-second. It keeps your kids in touch. It organizes you and
reminds you.
It even
wakes you up in the morning.
What could
be the problem with any of that?
A lot.
And here’s
what you must know:
1. Keep
your cell phone away from your body as much as possible.
2. Use
ear-buds or headphones as much as possible to avoid holding the phone to your
head for hours a day.
3. Boys,
keep the cell out of your front pant pocket.
4. Girls,
do not carry your cell in your bra, shirt chest pocket, or pant pocket.
5. At
night, if you can, do not use your device for 1½ to 2 hours before you go to
sleep. If you have to check something, go ahead, but reduce the usage in the
window before sleep. Light from your screen impedes melatonin production which
you need to sleep.
Less
sleep, less energy. Less focus. Less joy.
6. To
ensure a full, deep, uninterrupted night sleep, do not sleep with the cell
phone on next to your bed and never under your pillow (fire hazard). If you
must keep it near you, put it on AIRPLANE MODE. The cell pinging and receiving
messages all night interferes with brain patterns and makes deep sleep
impossible. Lack of deep sleep is a health hazard.
7. Joy
needs our attention. To feel good in our skin, we must practice what’s good for
us. Balance your attention to your device with your attention to what’s around
you. Exercise. Eat good food. Practice yoga, meditation. Play music. Create.
Dream. Connect with others face-to-face instead of Facetime. Reflect on who you
are and how you want to live and feel and show up in the world.
Read Lu
Hanessian’s blog at courierpost
online.com/drive.
Lu is the author of “Let the Baby Drive’’ (St. Martin’s Press, 2004) and Picnic
on a Cloud (2011), former NBC anchor and host of “Make Room for Baby’’ on
Discovery Health Channel, a parent educator, consultant, speaker, founder of
www.parent2parent
u.com and
WYSH Wear Your Spirit for Humanity.
For
More Information
To
learn more about our cells and ourselves, read “iBrain” by Dr. Gary Small,
“Alone Together” by Sherry Turkle, and “Disconnect” by Dr. Devra Davis.
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