Screen time in the year of a global pandemic has given us the ability to stay connected, undoubtedly. It's kept us engaged, entertained, comforted & informed. It has eased the isolation and gives us refuge in a most unprecedented time.
Social media for those of us in single-dwelling households has been a game-changer. Sharpening our wits, keeping us up to the minute and lessening the confinement. It offers an immediacy and can diminish distance. It may have even evoked the desire for online learning and tucked a few interesting scholarly certificates under our belts. If we were really proactive, we got a bit of safe and enjoyable exercise classes too. That's the upside.
The one thing we surely have achieved with our screen connections is physical sedentary behaviour. No doubt in poor posture and with a death grip on our media devices. Isolation can also lead to unhealthy habits. Too much of one thing. This is when we are in danger. Being glued to the screen is far away from who and what we need as human beings. We're social creatures very much connected and regulated by our natural environment. Sun, earth, water and fresh air. The elements that ground our circuitry and keep us well. The stuff that can't be broadcast through a screen.
Balance your scrolling and engagement with awareness of how your body and mind feel and what they need on a consistent basis. Get your news, contact and updates and step away. Keep up with the daily tasks that keep you on top of your real game. Good food, movement in good form and human engagement. A walk with a smile in your eyes. Safely hold the door open as you enter or exit the shops, it will be gratefully received. Strike up a safe-distanced conversation with a neighbour or even a passerby. Plan to get out and do it consistently.
We will get back to a new normal in good time. For now, safely continue to practice advised health measures. Try not to let the screen draw you in and away from actual human engagement. A phone call rather than a text or email. Not too many TV shows but instead a real taste of our natural environment, the great outdoors. We are all adapting to the new changes in the world. Real social contact is what human connection is about so never log off and shut down on that!
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