Invest in Face-to-Face Time

In a World of Tech, It’s Easy to Lose Touch With Your Loved Ones in Real Time. Learn How to Stay Connected... Without Technology
 

There’s no denying that technology has made connecting with others much easier for us, but these connections are mostly ‘cyber’. It’s important to look at how your link with technology is influencing your ‘real-life’ relationships. We asked Northwold-based executive business and life coach, Janice Hanly, to share a few ideas on achieving a better balance between your cyber and real-life relationships.

Are you addicted to your phone?

Everyone seems to be constantly glued to their phones, even when they’re busy with other activities like eating dinner or watching TV. Janice believes our dependence on our phones and technology has definitely become an addiction and a trap that anyone can fall into. ‘We’re living in an “instant” age where we’re “online” all the time,’ she says.

She explains that your phone’s like a magnet, drawing your attention away from your present activity and company. ‘Some people can’t even go to the cinema without answering messages immediately and missing key parts of the movie. Not to mention the disturbance they cause for everyone around them with the light from their phones! Perhaps this addiction comes from a desire to feel needed and necessary.’

Did you know?

Nomophobia (no-mobile-phone phobia) is the irrational fear of being without your phone or not being able to use it due to a dead battery or no signal. UK-based YouGov created the term after its 2008 study revealed that 53% of phone users became anxious when unable to use their phones. More recent stats indicate the number has increased to 66%.