May I suggest a time out from technology?

My husband and I took a little time this past weekend to get out of town and relax a bit. It seems like we have not been able to sit down since way before the holidays.  A weekend without obligations, hey we took advantage of it and headed out. Our good friends encouraged us to enjoy ourselves and turn off our cell phones!  Oh my, how will my children, my mom, my clients, my friends, and my workmates make it without being connected to me?  How arrogant was that thought?  The whole world is not dependent on me directing all of its life events.  But I must admit the thought of turning off my cell phone made me shudder.

I was convinced to unplug from technology when Mike and I were sitting down in rocking chairs in front of a roaring fire, in a very beautiful lobby of a nearby resort. I looked around and everyone had their cell phones out, cruising Facebook or the Internet.  Very few were talking on their phones, but instead they were looking at what everyone else was doing. Couples were not talking to one another, they were so distracted with their cellular technology. They were also missing the beauty of the relationships and the beauty of our surroundings.

 Is it time for all of us to consider unplugging for a few hours every day?  Technology is wonderful, it has opened up so many growth opportunities for us as individuals as well as corporately.  Many people are seeing great success with the wellness/fitness apps available today. I am the first to say I love it and use it many times per day, but when is it time to take a break?

What about the time it takes from your day when you could be exercising, walking, talking with friends, or spending time in your kids’ faces?  Just something for you to think about for your physical wellness, social wellness, emotional wellness and spiritual wellness.  Let’s look at some ways that technology could be negatively affecting your dimensions of wellness.

» Social Isolation. Isolation is characterized by a lack of contact with other people in normal daily living, such as, the workplace, with friends and in social activities. We isolate ourselves by walking around in our own little world, listening to our iPods or staring at the screen of the latest mobile device even when we are around other people. Studies have shown that people who are socially isolated will live shorter lives.

»  Social Skills Underdeveloped. Face to face interaction is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Online social media has replaced much of the interaction, which can lead to undeveloped social skills.  We can lose our ability to read social cues in others.

»  Weight Gain. The more time we spend sitting on our duff, watching movies on our iPads, watching food videos on Facebook, or just staring at our phones, the less time we have to devote to activity or exercise.

»  Depression. Technology creates the perfect storm to cause depression. The lack of human interaction, lack of exercise and mindless eating can all cause depression. Although there are many other causes of depression the above factors are major players in alleviating feelings of depression.

»  Sleep Disturbances. The bright glow of our technological devices can affect the release of melatonin in our brains. Melatonin is the sleep chemical associated with nighttime and sleep.

»   Postural Imbalances. Constantly looking down at devices can cause neck pain and over time will cause the neck to lose its natural curve. Eyestrain can also cause headaches, blurred vision and migraines.

»    Warped Sense of Reality. I like to say that Facebook is really Fakebook!  Pictures are photo-shopped so everyone looks like movie star! Not to mention the fact that their lives look picture perfect and you have enough so called friends to form a small country.  If we all compared out life to the ones we see on social media, we might just get a little depressed.  Always do a reality check on your thoughts, reality is not always pretty. Facing it and not trying to escape it is a healthy way to live.

»   Stress. Constantly being “plugged in” and “connected” causes an extra layer of stress that wasn’t present before the overuse of technology.

I just chuckled out loud because I am using my laptop to write this article while on our “get-away”! Oh well, I did unplug all day yesterday and several hours today. It was refreshing!

See you in the gym!

Linda Stollings is owner of fitPrescriptions, a

Corporate Wellness Health Coaching Company

Email her at lstollings@fitprescriptions.com.