Is your phone interfering with: Your Health, Your Relationships, Your Work?
20 years ago
I felt the need to get my 3 teenagers cell phones so they could keep up with this technologically based world. Being nervous about this, I decided to set some basic guidelines. One guideline being that if I was talking to them and their cell phone buzzed or dinged in their pocket they damn well better not reach for it as that was rude and disrespectful. At the time I didn’t know if my rules were going to help or not. They did. My boys still remind ME at times, to put my own cell phone away if I forget and reach for it at an inappropriate time! (And of course simply because they are awesome human beings.)
15 years ago
at work as a nurse in a Labor and Delivery unit I saw the epidemic starting and tried to deter it from affecting patient care. In saying this, I want to reinforce that this epidemic was occurring not only in my hospital but in every hospital in this city, across the United States, and in the world. It was becoming rampant. We were starting to drift away from important priorities. So I recruited a few other coworkers for the task at hand. Our request was simply for our fellow healthcare colleagues to leave their personal cell phones in their lockers instead of carrying them around in their pockets and using them while they were clocked in and taking care of families, often in life and death situations.
We did inservices to plead with coworkers the importance of showing patients we were placing them first and our cell phones second. That we were staying present with them in their most vulnerable times. It was amazing the excuses we heard as to reasons they felt they needed their phones near them for the full 12 hour shift.
“I need it to look at my calendar” (You can look at your calendar on your break.)
“I need it for a timer” (There are other timers you can use that aren’t on your phone.)
“I need it in case my kids at home need me” (You can have them call the front desk and they can find you.)
” Isn’t it better that if my family calls and wants to know what to cook for dinner, that I can answer it right away instead of the secretary having to take a call for me for that?” (Yes, I actually did hear this one, I just walked away.)
So we spoke with policy makers at the hospital to try and get a policy that forbade cell phone usage while working. We already had a policy they said. Not specifically to cell phone use, however. And a policy is only as good as it can be reinforced and it was clearly only myself and these few other coworkers trying to reinforce this. The epidemic had already begun and we were powerless to stop it.
When we were on shift, people would sneak their phones out until they saw us coming and then would quickly pocket them as we approached. Grown, professional adults!!! I was disgusted.
When the enforcers weren’t on shift , others heard these entitled coworkers say as they were taking their phones out of their pockets while on shift, “The cell phone police aren’t here today” and give a little laugh. We were left with simply being good role models and practicing what we were preaching in hopes others would follow suit. It didn’t work, because the epidemic of cell phone addiction had started and there were no consequences…..at least at work.
Today
technology is vastly different and is ever so prevalent in our personal as well as our professional lives. It has taken over our ability to be present. More and more places are finally realizing this and at least STARTING to enact more restrictive policies. But we have a catch up game to play now.
There are reasons in this modern world technology is essential. But the uncontrolled use and obsession with some of these small inanimate devices can tear at our basic human foundation, subconsciously teaching us to be rude and disrespectful to each other, and to be anywhere other than the present moment.
Are your relationships suffering because of technology?
Have you drifted or seen others drift onto a current that is not helping you prosper as an interactive human being? Being on the River of Life it is normal to drift. But drift with awareness. It has been over 20 years since cell phones became popular.
Where have your technological currents taken you since then?
Ask yourself, “Am I addicted to my cell phone?” If the answer is yes, be brave enough to do something about it. Try these strategies:
Start leaving it in the other room or at home if you are just going for a quick errand.
Try simply glancing at Google Maps and then using your own memory to get to your destination
Put your cell phone DOWN instead of picking it UP to take a picture or video. Just enjoy the moment
Turn off your phone altogether and enjoy the feeling of NOT being on call to answer texts immediately
SPEAK UP!
Talk to others about this and help them learn how to become more present
Please watch the Video below by Paul Sinek: (and DON’T click on anything else after! Click out of YOU Tube and this post if you need to!)
Cell phones are ruining our relationships to Life itself
Thanks for Listening,
Your Float Sideways Team
