3 Triggers that Cause Us to Reach for Our Phone

Posted on June 22, 2017

How often are you picking up your smartphone and distracting yourself from more important things? The time spent staring at the screen can cause us to miss out on the little moments in our day to day lives or our important relationships. In addition, smartphones can cause mild hallucinations (such as "phantom buzz") in frequent users. Social media, commonly assessed through smartphones, may cause depression and severe self-esteem issues as well.

Tyler Jacobson highlighted some common triggers that cause us to go looking at our phones, rather than staying present in the moment:

1. Feeling uncomfortable
You are in a situation where you around people you barely ever spoken to. Awkward smiles apart, you reach for your smartphone instead of making small talks to alleviate the discomfort.
What to do about it:
Let the awkwardness flow. Although it may feel torturous in the moment, being out of our comfort zone isn't necessarily a bad thing. It is a chance to overcome social anxiety, engage with someone new, and empathize with another person. Let yourself be the one who helps the other feel more at ease.

2. Boredom
There is too much time to kill and you resorted to fiddling with your smartphone.
What to do about it:
Start to appreciate the boredom, or the luxury of having time to spare. Take some time to enjoy the calm and quiet. Be in the moment without filling it with noise.

3. Too many notifications
Notifications come up on your phone, you could leave it be but FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) pushes you to pick up your device and take a peek.
What to do about it:
Turn off your notifications! You don't have to turn off every sound as some things may actually be important, but you can limit the distractions and temptations by revoking certain app permissions in the Notifications section of the Settings. Do what you can to reduce distractions and improve your productivity.

Live in the moment, because some moments can never be recreated. Don't let your smart phone take away those precious moments!


Category(s):Addictions

Source material from Psychology Today