I recently got on an airplane and sat next to a young gentleman reading a paper back book (unusual these days) called The Autobiography of a Yogi (a book on my list of must read books). I felt moved to talk to him.

He’s a truck driver getting into yoga, and tells me how much it’s changed his life. Who knew? We had such an enjoyable conversation the entire flight we gave each other a hug when we got off the plane.

It’s now rare to have these kinds of interactions because, from my perspective, people are looking at their cell phone, tablets and computers most of the time.

If I were going to guess on the percentage of people addicted to their cell phone, (and the airport was an indicator of it), I would guess somewhere around 95%. It’s rare to see someone reading a paper back book, engaged in conversation, or just sitting (non-doing), for the sake of being.

When I bought my cell phone 2 years ago, I waited 5 days before taking it out of the package because I watched and knew how addictive it was. I wasn’t immune to it. And honestly, I’d probably be addicted too if I didn’t get physically sick from using it (I have an Electromagnetic Field (EMF) sensitivity).

I now have really healthy boundaries and am learning to see it as a communication tool when I do use it (instead of wanting to throw it against the wall :).

But the truth is, I’m now very grateful for having the sensitivity (which I’m working on decreasing) because of what I’ve learned about the radiation from cells phones and the health hazard they are along with the anxiety and disconnection they create in day to day life.

Are they bad as their own entity? No. They are a wonderful tool to communicate with, BUT they have a cost if you don’t have boundaries with them.

Here are a few things I’ve learned about cell phones (these apply to computers and tablets too):

• Cell phones emit radiation whether fully on while making a call, or on standby or on airplane mode. Radiation is most strong while talking on it, but the low frequency on standby and in airplane mode is considered even more dangerous to the body.
• The radiation interrupts the cell structure within the body, damages DNA and passes through the brain blood barrier when the cell phone is 3 feet and closer to the body.
• The radiation from cell towers and wi-fi is altering bird, bat, and bee behavior and is considered one of the major causes of bee decline and infertility affecting birds (which means it’s affecting humans too).
• You do not have to be feeling anything in your body for damage to be occurring.
• Children exposed to wifi, cell phones, and other technology are more likely to have autism and behavior problems.
• England has now banded wifi from all school buildings because of what they were seeing happening to the children from the radiation. Many other European countries are following suit.
• Talking on your cell phone (next to your ear for longer periods of time) is like sticking your head in a microwave oven.
• Using a wired headset to your phone or a bluetooth device makes no difference in lessening the radiation – it travels along the chord or through the bluetooth to your head.

The list goes on and on. You can find out more by reading Public Health SOS: The Shadow Side of the Wireless Revolution or click on this website or google “cell phone hazards.”

I’m not writing this to send you into fear, but to motivate you to do something about your addiction or dependency on these items so you can maintain your health throughout your life.

How to know if you’re addicted to your cell phone

• You take it everywhere with you and it’s powered on (outdoor activities, dinner gatherings, schools, grocery store, work, car, etc.)
• You look at while you’re at a stop light (or even driving) or while waiting for an appointment.
• You’ve never or rarely powered it completely off in the time you’ve owned it (and may not even know how to power it off).
• You look at as the last things before bed or the first thing in the morning.
• You use it as your alarm clock and your time piece throughout the day.
• You constantly feel compelled to look at it – what’s new, what’s new?
• You’ve got all the notification blings and beeps going to be alerted when you get a text, email, etc.
• You look at when you’re eating a meal.

I’m guessing there’s more, but if you do one or more of these behaviors, I’d say you have an addiction.

The difficult part is that this addiction is accepted and encouraged by society so it makes it harder to alter. BUT it’s crucial for lowering anxiety and stress, and maintaining the precious health that you have.

Each bling and beep and look at the phone can send your mind into fight or flight mode, creating a constant stress reaction, which impacts your immune system, nervous system, and more. The response may be subtle, but it’s there, and the more it occurs, the more the mind and body get addicted to the adrenaline rush.

How to break the addiction

1. Acknowledge that you have addiction.
2. Recognize the costs it’s having in your life (disconnection from yourself and others, increased stress, distraction from the present, health concerns…).
3. Create boundaries/guidelines in how you use the cell phone.
4. Stick to these boundaries and tell others what you are doing and why – ask for support

Here’s some helpful boundaries/guidelines I use in my day to day life with my cell phone and technology:

• Unplug your wifi in your home when you’re not using it – this is key. It keeps the technosmog from going through your brain when you sleep.
• Turn off your phone 1 to 2 hours before you go to bed and wait to turn it on for at least 30 minutes after waking (eat breakfast without looking at it).
• Keep all technology out of your bedroom (the first three steps can greatly help with sleep).
• Read a paper back book instead of technology.
• Turn off your phone when you’re not using it. I treat my cell phone like a land line, so I leave it at home when I leave the house. Easy peasy.
• Wear an actual watch as a time piece.
• Use speaker phone or an EMF free headset (has hollow tubes to the ears).
• Use a corded land line (this is optimal).
• Notice when you want to look at it just because it’s an impulse reaction and distract yourself by going outside, cleaning the house, meditating, taking a deep breath or something else.
• Unplug for the weekend! I love doing this because it gives me “me” time outside and with friends without distraction.
• Do not give your child a cell phone to use for the sake of their health. I’m guessing there’s a belief that this is “unresponsible” as a parent, but their health is the most important thing.

There’s so much more, but I hope you find this a great start to a healthy relationship with your cell phone and all technology!

 

Categories: Health & Happiness, Stress & Anxiety