The Art of Putting Your Phone Down

By Priya Kaur Tahim, LPC

Kaur Counseling

. https://www.kaurcounseling.org/

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The Art of Putting Your Phone Down

How many times have you been out to dinner with someone, and the very first thing they do is take their phone out and place it next to them? Better yet, how many of you are guilty of doing the exact same thing? I am. Ever find yourself surrounded by your friends, but you all are on social media looking at pictures, making comments like, “OMG, look at (fill in blank)!”

Naturally, almost all of us, can admit that we’re guilty of paying too much attention to our phones and not enough attention to our actual surroundings. About a month ago, I was out to dinner with my family. We were at our favorite pizza place, waiting for our pizza, when I looked around, every one of us was on our phones, even my mom and dad. I couldn’t believe it. We were still talking, but it was like we needed our phones as a conversational piece, or show-and-tell product to make our stories more vibrant.

There used to be a time when phones weren’t as important, and life still went on. What would happen if you spent a whole day without your phone? Well, I thought to myself, this would be an awfully hard challenge. Would one day really kill me? So I took a challenge. I put my phone down for most of the day, minus work calls. I left my phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ while I went about my daily business.

It was eye awakening how much you can miss, while you dedicate seconds, minutes and hours to your phone. I enjoyed the beauty of reading a real book, rather than a blog post or news article. I dabbled in conversation with my family, that didn’t involve me showing them pictures or videos. I was able to enjoy the company of those around me, without shielding myself with the comfort of my phone.

We tend to rely on our phone to get us out of awkward situations, boring meetings, and even just to pass time. There is a whole world around us, that doesn’t involve your phone. Imagine, being at dinner with your loved one, and having a real conversation, without any disturbances, without your phone ringing. Picture your mind at rest, instead of it constantly running through tasks it must complete.

I challenge each of you to put your phone down, maybe not for a whole day, but while you spend time with others, so you can truly enjoy each other’s company. I urge you to give your mind a break, by shutting off your phone before you sleep, so you can have a good night’s rest. Take a moment and enjoy the beauty that nature has to offer; you’d be surprised how breathtaking reality can be.