It’s hard to stay off your phone. It really is. It haunts you like an electronic ghost. Beckoning you into its domain. Never to return. Dun dun dunnnnnn *scary organ music*. Ever since I began my digital wellness journey, I’ve had little reminders to help me not use my phone. One of them was having a fun phone wallpaper that says something like “put the phone down”. There are tons of ways to make one! You can draw something on paper and take a picture, use PowerPoint or Canva or MS Paint to make your creation. Have fun!
The Mindful Digital Native
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We already unfollowed a bunch of content that made us feel gross inside. Now it's time to find content that makes us happy and educates us about the world. Below I'm going to list a bunch of accounts that I follow that bring me joy. Check them out! And revisit the questions we posed in day 5 to help you decide if the account is right for you to follow, and revisit the resources section of that page as well.
Mindful Digital Native's List of Cool Things:
Discover something new, Mindful Digital Native We all have a lot more time on our hands now. So this is a great opportunity to learn something new! It doesn't have to be "class" style. It can be anything. This is another exercise in learning how to create tech life balance. I encourage you to use your device to look up some fun stuff to do! But conscientiously keep track of how often you are using your phone. When do you get distracted? What triggers you. Keep track. See what's up! Today's post is short because I trust you. Below will be more resources:
EdX - Free Classes An Origami Tutorial Crochet Love, The Mindful Digital Native Whenever I go anywhere without my phone, I feel naked. Like I'm missing a part of myself. And I really dislike that I feel that way. I want to never experience that. But because I am so used to having this thing in my back pocket. Every where I go. Kind of like a leech. Well not exactly, but you know what I mean.
We already went outside resisting out phones, now we are going to ditch the phones all together. We are going to experience discomfort and embrace that naked feeling. We are going to think about it. Why do we feel that way? Why do we need to feel tethered all the time. I get anxious because I'm terrified something is going to happen with my school work and I'm going to miss it and my life will be ruined. That is not going to happen. At least, it's incredibly unlikely. And this anxiety has a name. It's called the fear of missing out. Now I am aware that I gave a really weird example of FOMO, but that is literally what I experience. Fear that something life changing, ground breaking, and earth shaking is going to happen and I am just going to be disconnected when that happens. But we are going to fight FOMO today. We are going out into the world PHONELESS! No phones allowed here. No, no. Get out there! Do what you're doing. Live well! Observe where you live. Meet some new people! Can I get that pizza PHONELESS, Mindful Digital Native Resource: The reference in the sign off (its got swear words in it but its so funny) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud1JXqGWPvU Hey, hi, how are you?
Social media. It's supposed to be about sharing. And connecting. Have you see those new Facebook ads about Groups that makes Facebook seem like it really get's people together in real life? That's what we want social media to be. But it really ends up being about ourselves. We end up focusing more on how we look, how many likes we get, how many compliments and comments we get. And when we are thinking about others on social media, we are usually comparing ourselves to them. So we are going to take a moment today to make social media nothing about use. We are going to make a post about something that we truly appreciate. An appreciation post if you will. It can be about a role model or a family member or someone else all together. What do you love about them? Why to you appreciate them? Let them know. But also make sure you parallel that appreciation in the real world. Don't worry about likes or comments. Just make sure that person knows you care about them. Online and off. The Mindful Digital Native So one of my favorite books of all time, like in the WHOLE WORLD, is Pride and Prejudice. I love the story line. I love the high comedy. I love the feminism. And I love the letters. This book involves so many letters back and forth. They are beautiful, eloquent, and passionate. They clarify and develop the relationships between the characters (especially Elizabeth and Darcy).I high key wish someone would write me a letter like that. I remember learning how to write and send a letter in third grade. Today I still have to look up how to write an address on an envelope. I am also the most awkward person at the post office.
I remember there is this episode of the Canadian kid's show "Caillou", where the main character, a 4-year-old kid named Caillou (duh) notices that his parents always get really stressed out looking through the mail, so he writes them a letter and mails it to them so they have something fun in the mail instead of just "bills, bills, bills". It's ingrained in my memory forever. Those are the two inspirations for today's activity. Jane Austen and Caillou. Who would have though? So let's bring back the art of letter writing. Pick a friend or family member and write to them. And if you're like, "Well what do I write to them about? Mindful Digital Native this is weirddddd." My advice is, write about what you would text them. If you would text them memes, literally print out the meme and mail it to them. (I have no idea why I have been talking about memes so much lately). Get creative! Press some flowers and write a short note. If you still fell uncomfortable, tell them I made you do it. Blame me. I don't care. Just complete the activity! And if you are like me and don't have access to stamps and envelopes because you are a BROKE college student, write a letter to yourself about why you appreciate you, or you goals. Get that pen on paper and move it! Make someone's day by putting something in the mail that is not an ad for a new store or those coupon newspapers. More resources down below if you get stuck! Some fun ones and serious ones. Yours &c. The Mindful Digital Native Resources: That Caillou Episode: https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/want-to-improve-your-life-write-yourself-a-letter.html Letters in Pride and Prejudice: https://readallaboutbooks.wordpress.com/2013/04/21/letters-in-pride-and-prejudice/ How to Write Letters (19th century edition) https://www.brainpickings.org/2012/12/21/how-to-write-letters-1876/ How to Write Letters (more practical) https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-write-a-letter/ How to Write a Letter To Yourself: https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/want-to-improve-your-life-write-yourself-a-letter.html Hello! I am so excited about today's activity, you have no idea. Today you are going to have a Solo Disco Dance Party! It is easy to get carried away in the headlines. We are living in a weird time, we don't have a choice but to stay up to date and keep up with current information. It is also easy to always worry about what people are thinking of you. This is natural, this is human. But it is amplified by our new and constant use of social media. So today we are going to take at the most half an hour to be in the moment and take a break. Here are my steps for you:
The Mindful Digital Native Today is the day that we all do the thing that we all really, genuinely dread. Talk on the phone. I can’t quite explain why. I just really dislike talking on the phone. And there are slews of articles criticizing millennials for being able to hold phone conversations despite being constantly on their phones. (Don't get me started on this, that's an article for another time.)
According to the New York Times, it’s because phone calls have a tendency to interrupt us. We find them annoying. But at the same time, they are more “honest”. Text messaging is how we roll now, and those things can get misinterpreted, twisted, and forgotten about. Texting allows you to be spontaneous, fast, and easy. But these pros are exactly what make texting less genuine. We forget to think sometimes. We say things we don’t mean in the moment and they are immortalized. Phone calls bring a sense of humanity back to communication. You can understand the tone of voice and have emotional awareness. We also cannot hide behind our screens and speak without consequences. And in this time, keeping up connection is critical to getting through quarantine. So surprise someone with a phone call today! It may be an interruption, but at least they are a genuine one, instead of someone Facebook Messenger-ing you a meme (though I do love memes) I’m going to call my grandma. Happy dialing, The Mindful Digital Native Resources: How texting affects relationships: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/meet-catch-and-keep/201403/is-constant-texting-good-or-bad-your-relationship My Millenials Don’t Like Phone Calls, a graph: https://bgr.com/2018/12/09/millennials-phone-calls-survey/ New York Times Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/fashion/20Cultural.html One of the easiest ways to get off of your phone is do get creative y’all! Not only is art a fun way to try new things, it’s actually got brain benefits too. It allows you to simultaneously do something physical and cognitive.
In my experience, being on social media tends to inhibit me creatively. I think it’s mostly because I end up distracted. On the other side, technology can be really good for us creatively. You can Google crafts or find inspiration through Instagram or Pinterest. I think creativity provides a perfect area to find a balance between technology and life. If utilized correctly, tech can expand art and music. However if we allow technology to overtake art, we lose the humanity of it. Maybe I am getting a bit too philosophical here, but the relationship between technology and art is a hot topic! I think it’s time to go through some cool resources to help you get freakin creative tonight! Right now, a lot of us have free time to use. And we often think that only certain people have the capacity to make good creative work. But today, don't worry about that. Today just make something that brings you joy. Who cares if it's "bad". No one here is going to be judging you. The reason there is not a lot of instruction for today is because it is for what you want to do, which is annoying I know. But below are some cool resources for you.
The Mindful Digital Native Hello everyone! I hope you are staying healthy out there.
Today's blog post is about feeling comfortable in your space. A lot of you are working from home, and you've probably been reading articles or watching videos about how to maximize your productivity and all of that. But today, just take a hot sec to make your space a place you want to be in. Because why would you want to work if you hate the space you are working in? Now, you are probably wondering, why does this matter for digital wellness? Well, we are always comparing ourselves online. And doubtless we are all trying to mark where we are in comparison to others when it comes to transitioning to working from home. You have probably seen people's aesthetic desk snapshots from their homes, or their insanely organized binder system. I am a naturally unorganized person, and looking at that stuff genuinely makes me feel bad. Like I am doing something wrong with my life. But the key, I've realized, is to find what works for you! I know I am not going to always put my papers back where they are supposed to go, so I have an empty folder on my desk to put those papers in. When I am ready to put them away, I go through that folder. Is it the best method? Probably not, but it works for me. This is an exercise in ignoring the comparison that we face online every day, and also to help you love where you are working right now. So here are some ways you can make your space more inviting for yourself (more resources and research will be linked in the resource section):
The Mindful Digital Native Resources: Video on Toxic Productivity Creating Organization Systems Hustle Culture |
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