Smartphones: they’re miracles… and monsters.

We all know that our phones are increasingly indispensable, for staying in touch with family and friends to ordering pizza to, I don’t know, refinancing your mortgage. And yet we also all know how addictive they can be. (If you don’t know already, several studies have confirmed this.) Fortunately, there are several realistic, achievable ways to regain your tech-sanity and take back your life from your phone. We’ll look at some specific tricks in future issues of this newsletter. Right now, let’s look at how mindfulness and cell-phone use can interact to your benefit – before, during, and after you’re tapping and swiping.

1. Before You Power On

Let’s say your phone is in your pocket. You’re about to reach for it. Are you aware of what’s happening at that moment? As you build your brain’s capacity for mindfulness, you get better and better at noticing the small, subtle movements of mind at moments like these -- moments that precede taking action. So, if you’ve been practicing mindfulness, you might hear a little voice in your head (the good kind) asking “huh, what is going on right now?” Or maybe “huh, what am I feeling right now?” Or, “huh, do I really want to do this or am I just habitually fidgeting in a way that actually will make me feel worse rather than better?” Depending on how assertive your inner voice sounds.



In that mindful moment, you can “check in” with your thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations. For example, I might notice that I’m bored, and trying to keep my mind occupied instead of just relaxing. Alternatively, I might notice that I’m hate-checking Facebook to see what that person I can’t stand (but secretly envy) is up to. Or I may well notice, “hey, that’s fine, I’m just in the mood to browse Instagram for a bit.”

You can do this without being a master meditator, of course. Just set the intention to pay attention, as the somewhat corny saying goes. When you’re reaching for your phone, just “check in” in this way. No judgment. Just curiosity. What’s going on right now? How am I feeling? Is this conscious or compulsive?



Once again, it’s not that the answer to “why am I doing this” is always bad. Sometimes you’re checking your phone because you’re interested in the news, or you’re keeping up with a friend, or you’re just relaxing and having fun. That’s fine. But if you give this practice a try, you’ll also see that a lot of other times you’d really rather relax. You can even use your phone as an object of meditation, as this guided meditation by Alexis Santos suggests: