(Featured article in Return to Balance Ezine: November 25, 2014)
As I sat in a restaurant on a cold Sunday night, part of me was thankful and part of me was filling with sadness. Thankful for my husband’s suggestion that we take the night off from cooking and treat ourselves to some of our favorite foods. Thankful for the quality time with my husband and daughter. Then during a moment of silence I looked around me and what I saw caused my heart to grow heavy. There were several tables around us in which EVERY SINGLE PERSON at the table had their eyes glued to their phones. It’s not like it was the first time I had seen such a thing but in that moment it tore at my heart.
This month my self-love challenge has been to cut back on screen time and social media. I decided that instead of just liking “friends” posts I would actually take the time to be with the people that matter to me. I’m so thankful for the conversations I had this month over tea with friends whom I haven’t been with face-to-face in way too long.
Having enjoyed such a wonderful month of heart to heart connections, when I saw those people in the restaurant together but yet so disconnected my heart grew heavy. While social media allows you to connect to people all over the world it may also be causing you to disconnect to those closest to you.
Connecting with friends and family can help you live a happier and healthier life. Spending time with loved ones can help ward off loneliness, give you a sense of belonging, and increase your sense of self-worth. Coping with stress can be so much easier when you have someone to talk to and to lend you support.
My invitation for you this week as you gather with family and friends is to give yourself permission to really connect. Turn off, or at the very least, silence your phone when you are with someone else. Show those around you that nothing is more important to you in that moment than being with them.
As I sat in a restaurant on a cold Sunday night, part of me was thankful and part of me was filling with sadness. Thankful for my husband’s suggestion that we take the night off from cooking and treat ourselves to some of our favorite foods. Thankful for the quality time with my husband and daughter. Then during a moment of silence I looked around me and what I saw caused my heart to grow heavy. There were several tables around us in which EVERY SINGLE PERSON at the table had their eyes glued to their phones. It’s not like it was the first time I had seen such a thing but in that moment it tore at my heart.
This month my self-love challenge has been to cut back on screen time and social media. I decided that instead of just liking “friends” posts I would actually take the time to be with the people that matter to me. I’m so thankful for the conversations I had this month over tea with friends whom I haven’t been with face-to-face in way too long.
Having enjoyed such a wonderful month of heart to heart connections, when I saw those people in the restaurant together but yet so disconnected my heart grew heavy. While social media allows you to connect to people all over the world it may also be causing you to disconnect to those closest to you.
Connecting with friends and family can help you live a happier and healthier life. Spending time with loved ones can help ward off loneliness, give you a sense of belonging, and increase your sense of self-worth. Coping with stress can be so much easier when you have someone to talk to and to lend you support.
My invitation for you this week as you gather with family and friends is to give yourself permission to really connect. Turn off, or at the very least, silence your phone when you are with someone else. Show those around you that nothing is more important to you in that moment than being with them.