Credits: Social Media
Doctor warns phone users of three common habits that make you more stressed
It’s hard to imagine life without a phone in 2024. From banking to dating, everything you need can be accessed at your fingertips.
However, technology comes at a cost, and one doctor has warned of three common habits that increase stress. While doom-scrolling through your phone at the end of a long day at work may feel like the perfect way to switch off, it could be having an adverse effect on your health.
Doctor warns phone users of three dangerous habits
During a conversation with Steven Bartlett of the Diary of a CEO podcast, Dr Aditi Nerurkar drew attention to three common phone habits that are directly linked to a “stressful” life.
1. Late-night scrolling – This is an extremely common practice – falling asleep while scrolling through our phones. But the doctor warns against the habit of staring into the screen until your eyes shut close as it urges you to scan for “danger”, leaving the users feeling stressed.
The surge in “bad news” in the past years is linked to the habit of “constantly scrolling and scanning for danger,” said Dr. Aditi.
2. Checking your phone too often – How frequently do you check your phone? And, how often do you find any useful notifications? It’s a common practice to look at your phone screen randomly at ungodly hours even if it isn’t required, and the medical professional says it’s one habit we all should break free of.
The “mobile phone dependency” makes you feel more stressed, thus impacting your brain.
3. Consuming disturbing content – Intentionally or unintentionally, mobile phone users consume a lot of traumatic content on social media, which is beleived to cause emotional stress, PTSD, and even indirect trauma.
Be it news about the ongoing war or a video depicting violence, disturbing content increases the urge in you to scroll, thus keeping you hooked to your screens.
Tips to limit the usage of your phones
The phone habits highlighted here are common and dangerous, but you can break free from them by limiting their usage.
- Set a timer when you’re using your phone to consume news or if you’re scrolling through social media so you know when to stop.
- Stick to reading books or listening to music before hitting the sack to avoid staring into your screens.
- Be mindful of the content you consume and avoid unlocking your phone now and then by directing your focus to other activities.
