We tend to believe that major life stressors cause our exhaustion and overwhelm, while it turns out that our daily life includes a small repetitive action which acts as the true cause of these problems. The danger of these “micro-habits” emerges after months and years of use because they create a significant mental and physical burden.
The Death of “Boredom”
People choose to check their phones whenever they spend time waiting in grocery lines or coffee shops. We miss out on essential brain time which helps us process emotions and develop new thoughts because we refuse to experience boredom.
Fragmented Focus
People need 23 minutes to regain their deep focus after they check their notifications. You create a mental “startup” condition when you check your phone every 10 minutes, which prevents you from achieving your full mental capacity.
Increased Decision Fatigue
Social media scrolling requires users to make multiple small choices which include deciding whether to like content and respond to messages and purchase items. Your decision-making capabilities reach their limit by noon, making it difficult for you to select choices that affect your health and career.
The Loss of “Peripheral Awareness”
Public spaces become unsafe when people walk or sit there while watching their screens. People experience greater social isolation because they cannot connect with their physical environment.
Invisible Comparison Stress
People who do not feel jealousy experience a persistent feeling of inadequacy because they are exposed to constant displays of “perfect” lives and houses and bodies. Your actual life appears to be “less than” because you observe your “successful” life.
Weakened Social Muscles
People who choose to use their phones instead of talking with their neighbors or cashiers become worse at socializing and the absence of real-world practice makes people find social events to be “awkward” or “draining.”
Constant “Urgency” Mode
When people can reach you anytime through text and Slack, your body remains in “high alert” condition. Your body interprets vibrating pockets as potential dangers, which keeps your cortisol levels unnecessarily elevated.
The “Ghost” To-Do List
You remember every email or message that you read but did not answer, which creates “open loops” in your mind. A “ghost” to-do list forms in your mind because your “open loops” continue to occupy your mental space.
Reduced Physical Posture
The “tech neck” position which includes hunched shoulders and downturned head causes physical tension that the brain sees as stress. Your body experiences a continuous cycle of bodily strain which produces mental pressure.
Stolen Time
People spend 3.5 hours per week, which breaks down into six daily scrolls of five minutes each. The total time amounts to 180 hours over one year. People who claim they lack time for hobbies and gym activities actually waste their available time because of one unnoticeable behavior.
