Right now, our stressors seem to be at an all time high. From national politics to international politics, our stress is skyrocketing. The uncertainty, the worry over new policies, and the toxicity of social media, is causing our stress to rise like the price of eggs.
There are plenty of books out there discussing scientific studies regarding ways to reduce stress.
When we are stressed, cardio exercise can release some of our stress. Find a cardio dance video or head outside for a power walk.
Long hugs (20 seconds or more) with people we care about can relieve some of our stress. Give that someone (with their consent) a long hug until you both relax.
A long smooch (6 seconds or more) with our significant other can reduce our stress levels. Give that someone (with their consent) a long kiss until you both relax.
Watching something that makes us truly and deeply laugh can vent off some of our stress. Find a video online or check out a comedy from your local library.
Journaling and counseling can help us manage our stress better. Writing and discussing stressors with a counselor can help us process our feelings and also see possible solutions.
Saturday, February 8, 2025
Saturday, January 25, 2025
Taking Time to Disconnect to Reconnect
I do love technology. It allows me to connect with family far away. It allows me to bring books, audiobooks, and music with me wherever I go. It entertains me and keeps my schedule in the palm of my hand.
But too much technology is not good for us.
Too much time on social media and news is bad for our mental health.
Too much time with games and entertainment can negatively impact our to do list.
Too much entertainment can leave us unable to entertain ourselves when our technology dies or must be set aside.
My phone has a setting called Digital Wellbeing and Parental Controls.
It tells me helpful data, like how many times I unlock my phone, to how much time I spend on specific websites or apps.
What's more, it allows me to set app and site limits, so I can intentionally decide how long I am wanting to spend on my phone.
It allows me to set times when I won't be disturbed by notifications when I'm working or sleeping. In fact, these boundaries sometimes make it hard to get in touch with me, but do we need to be always reachable by phone or text?
Taking time to disconnect, to focus on a craft or a book or the person in front of me, is essential to my well-being.
Being present with a person, and not checking my notifications, shows their importance to me.
Having my phone silenced during my work hours allows me to do my job instead of constantly checking my phone. In fact, my phone doesn't show me incoming text messages when I'm working!
Putting my phone on do not disturb at night allows me to sleep better without worrying about getting woken up by a late night text from a night owl friend.
Putting my phone down when I'm visiting with friends or when I'm watching a show or reading a book stretches my attention span to keep focusing on just one thing.
What sorts of limits and curbs do you want on technology in order to better connect to those around you?
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