5 Ways Your Phone is Impacting Your Wellbeing

Please put down the phone and step away from TikTok

Chances are by the time you’ve finished reading this article you’ll feel weirdly compelled to check your phone (that’s if you’re not already on it).

Technology has become an ever-increasing part of our day to day lives but no piece of technology has become quite so integrated with us as our phones.

Now you may already have an inkling that you spend a lot of time on your phone but buckle your seatbelt and prepare yourself because the following stats are going to blow your mind.

Scary Stats About Phone Use

On average people check their phone every 12 minutes with about 80 of these ‘check-ins’ ending up with them being engrossed in their screen for more than a minute.¹ This results in a shocking average of 3.5 hours per day of phone usage which at first may not seem like a lot but it quickly ads up to a terrifying 53 days per year!²

Side Note: If you’ve ever said that you don’t have time to look after your wellbeing or to work on your personal development let’s start by utilising some of that 53 days per year of wasted time on the phone.

How Your Phone Affects Your Wellbeing

It’s never been more well known that regular and consistent phone usage can have a detrimental impact on our health and wellbeing but it’s not until these impacts are highlighted that you’re likely to begin changing your habits with your phone. So with that said let’s take a look at 5 ways that your phone is affecting your wellbeing:

1. Your Attention Span Reduces³

Thanks to the neverending, dopamine inducing, little pings and vibrations your phone gives you on a minute by minute basis your attention span could actually be shortening. Not only this but one study found that simply having your phone in your pocket or on the table in front of you reduces your problem solving and cognitive capabilities. If you want to focus more effectively on a task or project, or if you need your brain to put in some solid problem-solving time, then it is best to leave your phone in another room.

2. You Become Less Social⁴

There’s a great saying which states:

“We’re living in a time where we are more connected than ever before, yet more disconnected than ever before”

Other than being a catchy sentiment, this statement holds a lot of truth.

Turns out “social” media may actually be making us less social. Think back to the last time you caught up with friends. How often did you, or one of your friends, check your phone? Did you end up scrolling social media despite being in the presence of company? Or what about with your significant other, how often do you waste away hours of quality time by being absorbed into your phone screen?

This weekend put the phone down, ditch the social media and commit to being social in real life instead. Trust us, you’ll feel far happier and more connected as a result.

3. Your Sense of Self Esteem is Reduced⁴

Have you ever found yourself feeling less content with your appearance, your work or your life as a whole after a scrolling session on social media? Turns out you’re not alone. In fact, up to 52% of people say their self-esteem is negatively impacted by scrolling social media. This is likely to be driven by self-comparison; the act of comparing your life to someone else’s. Self-comparison has always been part of the human psyche but it’s particularly detrimental when we do it through social media because we end up comparing our entire life to someone else’s highly curated, heavily filtered highlight reel.

Oh by the way, if you’d like to dramatically improve your self-esteem through a whole collection of evidence-based tools and strategies make sure you check out our Personal Development & Wellbeing Accelerator. 

4. Your Stress Levels Increase⁵

Sick of feeling so stressed? Put your phone away when you get home from work.

Some studies have found that people who check their work emails and notifications on their phones at home are more stressed compared to those who don’t. This is likely to be driven by the feeling of having to be on-demand 24/7. If you’re not taking downtime away from your phone or your work you aren’t giving your brain much needed time to decompress and destress after a big day. 

Oh and if you’re a manager or employer reading this the good news is that employees who switch their phones off in the evenings are actually happier and more productive when they are at work. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.

5. You Miss Out on the Real World⁴

This may be one of the biggest detrimental impacts of getting caught up on your phone. If you spend excessive time in the virtual world you’re really missing out on all the wonders and beauties of the real world. No matter how funny someone’s TikTok dance is, how captivating a Facebook video is or how much skin is displayed in that #influencer’s Instagram bikini shot nothing can compare to the joy of deeply experiencing real life.

The Upside

But what happens if you don’t compulsively pick up your phone? Well at first you’re likely to experience feelings of stress and anxiety. It’s similar to giving up any addiction, your body fights back first and the cravings kick in. But after a couple of days, the benefits begin to kick in and a lot of the detrimental wellbeing effects of regular phone use begin to fix themselves.

It doesn’t take long before you begin to feel calmer, more focused and genuinely happier.

With that in mind, why not commit to putting the phone down in the evenings, or even better take a phone detox weekend. 2 whole days with no phone, no social media and definitely no TikTok. Your mind, your body and your social life will all be thanking you for it.

PS If you’re struggling to create and uphold healthy boundaries with yourself around phone use or social media time then make sure you find out more about our Personal Development & Wellbeing Accelerator. Learning how to set and uphold boundaries, change your behaviour and create healthier habits are all topics you’ll learn during your Freshman Year. Plus you’ll be supported by your own personal Coach and a whole tribe of likeminded people who are working on becoming the best versions of themselves possible.

Click here to find out more about the Accelerator program and to apply for your Freshman Year.