Today we are going to play a version of The Alphabet Game, or Pasapalabra (the Spanish equivalent), that seeks to raise awareness of a significant problem that most of us have which we sometimes forget about or do not give enough importance to. This problem is the constant attention we pay to our mobile phones. If we do not control such addiction, it quickly takes over all waking moments of our life and adversely affects our ability to carry out other essential activities properly. So what can we do about this creeping issue?
Starting with an O. Organization. Try to be organized and disciplined in the schedule and rules of use of your mobile devices. Do not check it while you work or study. Or program periods of at least half an hour of work or study and then five minutes of rest, like the Pomodoro technique. The mobile is a skilled thief of our time and concentration, but it is in our hands to avoid it.
With an E. Essential. Check periodically all the key apps you have downloaded and delete those that are not essential. As much as possible, avoid social networks.
With an S. Silence. Manage notifications, eliminating all sounds and leaving only the most essential alerts. It is tough to concentrate if you are constantly receiving notification sounds. The temptation to check the mobile when you hear the alert must be resisted. But again, it is in your power to eliminate such sounds and control when you look at the phone.
With a T. Temperance. Dictionaries usually define temperance as moderation, sobriety and continence. Applied to mobiles means that it is unnecessary to erase yourself from the digital world or live in a hippie eco-commune. But you should have a certain degree of self-control and a sufficient level of discipline to adopt good practices in the use of the mobile. Examples of such good practice include not using it when you are eating with other people or when you are in meetings with friends, turning it off at least one hour before going to bed, and not turning it on until an hour after getting up.
With an E. Experiences. Multiple studies have shown that for personal well-being it is fundamental to have new experiences. These do not usually come from having money, the latest generation mobile phone, a thousand virtual friends whom you infrequently interact with, or 500,000 likes. Multi-dimensional experiences, in the real world, with people of flesh and blood, enjoying nature, playing sports, trying new foods, discovering new places, learning new hobbies; these are the experiences that really bring you happiness and a variety of them coupled with the convenience of the mobile help enrich our lives more broadly.
Smartphones have managed to penetrate so much into our lives that it can be quite challenging to apply these tips but we can always go little by little, developing more self-discipline, asking for help from our friends and family so that it is a joint exercise in which everyone can support each other. And for moments of weakness, we can take the word that is read in the acrostic in our game, OESTE, because it is also scientifically proven that the Oeste region is conducive for outdoor activities, to enjoy the sea, nature, gastronomy and culture. Who knows, maybe we even end up inventing the word oestherapy to describe all the positive effects of coming here.
So, do you have any additional tips or ideas that you can share to manage our smartphones better?