A few weeks back, I had to go get my brakes checked and get regular maintenance on my car. As I was driving to the dealership to drop off my car, I realized I had left my cellphone at home. Suddenly, I felt a surge of panic run through my body. I felt as if I had lost my purse, or was lost on a highway, although neither was the case. It struck me as funny that I am so attached to my Iphone that it caused me emotional distress to realize that I was without it. I survived for 30 years without a cellphone and 40 years without an Iphone, so I started to think about why not having my phone could cause me such discomfort. Our need to be plugged in all the time is one of the many reasons we suffer from so many anxiety and stress-related diseases and ailments.
Texting while driving is one of the most dangerous things that you can do, putting your own wellness and livelihood at risk, as well as taking other people’s lives- innocent victims- in your hands. I’ll admit, I am a “stop light texter” and obviously have the same “addiction” to my phone that many people in our society today have. After I started writing this article, I saw a link on Facebook that was very much in-line with what I was thinking about (yes, another way we need to unplug but I do find Facebook a great resource of information and a way to stay connected to friends and family I may not otherwise have the opportunity to communicate with on a regular basis).
There is a YouTube video of Louis C. K. talking about why he hates cellphones and won’t let his teenage daughters have them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HbYScltf1c
It’s because they cause us to lose empathy for other people, but at the same time create the need to constantly be validated by others. Texting someone something mean is less painful than saying something to a person’s face, but on the other hand, who hasn’t sent out a group text to your friends, just to see who is there to care that you exist? It builds an emotional wall, while also creating a sort of emotional security blanket to avoid just being able to “just be,” to be alone, to be ourselves without acknowledgement of our existence from someone else. He really has a great point. It’s true. Most people become fearful when they start to think about the aloneness of our existence and avoid ever connecting with that feeling. So today, on my way to work, I decided to try an experiment. I couldn’t go the day without my phone, but I did decide not to touch my phone, even at stop lights, on my short 30 minute drive to work. It was actually kind of hard not to naturally just grab it every time that I was waiting at a light. Believe it or not, I made it all the way to work without any emergency, urgent phone call, or life-or-death text I needed to respond to. I do think that giving up texting while driving is probably one of the best life-saving steps you can take in your life, next to quitting smoking, but try to take it a step further and stop using your phone while you are in your car. Even just for a day. Remember what it felt like before we all had phones. Take that time to be more mindful of your surroundings, set your intentions for the day, and most importantly, be safe.
Liz Jones is a wellness professional in Rockwall, Mesquite, Wylie and surrounding areas. She is a writer, certified yoga instructor, personal trainer and wellness coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management, with a graduate certificate in Ethics and Leadership. Her undergraduate studies included communication, business, writing, art, fitness, and dance. Liz Jones can be reached at: [email protected].