topic Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off? in Staying well

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

blondguy — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 13:33:09 GMT

Hi everyone! New members are always welcome to post too 🙂

There is no doubt that cellphones are a super invaluable tool in our social lives. There can be times though when we dread our mobile phone ringing...vibrating or beeping. Especially when we under stress or are experiencing even low level anxiety/depression

The health benefits are many as we are not on 'standby' for an incoming call that may or may not occur

Please let us know if and when you turn your phone off and why

Having some peace of mind?
Healing from ongoing anxiety/depression?
Wanting to enhance the quality of your sleep?
Just having time out for yourself?

my kind thoughts

Paul

Thanks to RX for this thread concept "Phones put you under so much stress don't they , although many people don't realize"

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

geoff — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 21:31:10 GMT

Hello Paul and RX as well, another great thread because the world revolves around the mobile phone as it performs so many different functions.

We use it for everything accounts, play games, take pictures, record videos, listen to music, write and receive messages, use the Internet, watch TV and even a wake up call.

I turn it off when I have my cat nap during the day, just as take my landline off the hook, but when I go to bed I keep my mobile on low volume, that's probably going to change and I'll have both off, although I have no trouble falling asleep.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

sparrowhawk — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 21:44:38 GMT

My phone is never on full volume, always on vibrate or silent (if I am in a meeting). I only turn my data on or connect to wi-fi when I need it. I find that it can be distracting but also prevent me from having a good night's sleep.

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

romantic_thi3f — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 22:57:00 GMT

Hi,

Paul - thank you for your thread! This is such a good topic since phone use has a big impact on our mental health 🙂 I'm curious though, what were your own answers?

Personally I never turn my phone off but I do put it on silent at night-time. Sometimes I'll put it on silent for appointments and things too but I'm not that popular haha. I think the biggest change for me though is that while I don't turn it off, I do use it less. I've silenced most of the app's notifications which has helped me become much more intentional about when I decide to pick up my phone rather than just doing it out of habit!

Curious to see everyone else's answers.

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

Guest5643 — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 00:38:32 GMT

Hi paul

I turn my phone off for a few days every now and then and let my data run out to force my eyes to have a break cause since getting my phone a few yrs ago ive devolped chronic dry eye syndrome I keep my phone on night mode now to ease the blue light.

Lynne

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

white knight — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 01:35:11 GMT

Hi Blondeguy

A good topic.

I found many years ago it is how I respond to my phone matters.

For example. I have a dear friend that is well, more self centred than I like. He rings me and straight away he ploughs into his problems without any introduction. I know he has suffered a car accident and his issues with TAC and other departments are demanding but if I am not in a good space to answer him I let it go to messagebank. Hours later I'll ring him once I've done my daily chores etc.

I've trained myself not to "save the world". Doing my best to help others begins with myself as my priority...or I cant help them.

So, responding to every phone call was a reflection of my anxiety years ago. It didn't do me any good.

TonyWK

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

Soberlicious96 — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 03:24:47 GMT

I never turn mine all the way off, so to speak, mainly because it's my only/main link of communication, but I do turn it down often!

At night when I go to bed I turn it down to vibrate only, and I also turn the screen brightness all the way down.

At work, it's in my locker, also on vibrate.

Other than that, it's on 'noise' and that's okay with me 🙂

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

Quercus — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 06:56:03 GMT

Hi Paul and a wave to everyone,

Great idea for a thread and very important.

I don't turn my phone off either unfortunately but I do have ways to give myself time out from it. The notification noise on a phone is one of the worst things for me when I feel tired or unwell. I don't like phonecalls much.

Leave calls (and texts and emails) until I feel up to replying. It makes me feel guilty sometimes but too much contact overwhelms me at times.
Set a separate alarm and leave my phone in the kitchen at night on silent.
Phone stays in my bag locked away at work. If it is urgent the kid's school knows to call work.
Don't change for other people. I don't use social media and don't want to.
Let people know what to expect. So many people live on call (phone on them constantly) and often expect you to reply instantly. I let new friends know I don't keep my phone on me and sending extra texts or calls is just going to overwhelm me not make me reply quicker.

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

quirkywords — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 07:07:49 GMT

Paul,

whar a topical thread.

i had my first mobile phone in 2011, and my first smart phone in 2017.

I don’t answer phone calls as I have it turned off but I do like texts. Family get annoyed I don’t answer the phone.

Quirky

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

blondguy — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 09:22:40 GMT

Hi Everyone!

Hey Geoff....Thankyou for your post. When you switch off your phone prior to a catnap is smart as then we arent in a constant mindset that 'the phone may ring' thus providing us with a quality sleep

Hey Sparrow....always great to see you post! It can be distracting for sure especially when we need to nurture our own well being 🙂

Hey romantic_thi3f....Thankyou for your kind post Romantic! As you know everyone's mental health issues are different in severity. Just as per my own levels of anxiety in the past I find the cellphone can impede my recovery especially where mindfulness is concerned. With low level anxiety my phone is fine....yet combined with being oversensitised or having a 'tired mind' I dont think there is anything 'smart' about having it switched on...(just my humble opinion :-))

Romantic mentioned "I've silenced most of the app's notifications which has helped me become much more intentional about when I decide to pick up my phone rather than just doing it out of habit! Nice1 🙂

Hey Lynne....Thanks heaps for your help on this topic. You are stronger than I am yet 'night mode' is a smart move to prevent the stimuli of the 'blue light' that does over stimulate our brain activity when we are trying to have a quality sleep. Good1 🙂

Thankyou amazing people!

my kindest

Paul

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

blondguy — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 11:10:11 GMT

Hey TonyWK

Your years of life experience speak volumes here and thankyou for your kind post too

TonyWK mentioned " I've trained myself not to "save the world". Doing my best to help others begins with myself as my priority...or I cant help them" Your are spot on here TonyWK yet many people (with good intentions) do pick up the phone when a good rest is needed. I used to always answer the phone without acknowledging my own anxiety/depression first. My therapists have always mentioned what you have above....Nice1

Hey Soberlicious96......Great to have your valued support on this topic and thankyou 🙂 Good on you for having your phone on 'vibrate' prior to sleep...Good move! Similar to myself .....I guess my leftover anxiety wont allow me to choose vibrate....so just for me I mute my phone....Just to provide a better quality sleep 🙂 Good1

Hey Quercus......really great to 'see' you and thanks for the complimentary post too 🙂

Quercus mentioned " Let people know what to expect. So many people live on call (phone on them constantly) and often expect you to reply instantly. I let new friends know I don't keep my phone on me and sending extra texts or calls is just going to overwhelm me not make me reply quicker"

Quercus also mentioned "leave my phone in the kitchen at night on silent"...This is a classic example of how we can be 'kind to ourselves' ...Great post Quercus...Nice1

Hey Quirky.....Thanks for your kind and helpful post! You mentioned "Family get annoyed I don’t answer the phone"....absolutely! Ditto here....I am criticized frequently for not 'jumping' to answer peoples calls as well. I do respond at my convenience....And if anyone really wants to talk to me they can knock on my door...lol. Good1 Q

my kind thoughts and appreciation

Paul

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

Guest5643 — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 03:27:26 GMT

Hi paul

I'll be switching my phone off very soon today and will sit in the drawer for 2 weeks to force rest my eyes. This past week the eye strain pain and nausea from it has been so intense ive been using alot of pain meds and now have bad indigestion from them. The first thing my optomestrist asks is do you have a smart phone. No one ever rings me so i dont have to worry bout missed calls.

Lynne

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

monkey_magic — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 04:52:45 GMT

Hi Paul & everyone,

My phone is on 24/7...it charges overnight and is on all day and night. I don't get bombarded with calls/texts so it's ok. I'm on the net a lot and have always used it for BB. Unlike in my 20's when I did and had to turn it off for peace of mind.

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

Guest_1584 — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 14:14:34 GMT

Hi quirk and thanks Paul

l do the same quirk phones always on mute. l only answer to a few people , l also get lots of cracks from family for never answering..l mainly just text.

l run my business via text too and always have in my ads please leave a message and l'll reply as soon as l can. l've done 10k deals via text only. but it's also not as weird as it seems because that way you have every word, detail,bank acc's addresses name, the whole deal. automatically in writing, so that's a big bonus.too. Don't have to write down or remember a thing it's all there.

The main reason for all though is that too much talking on the phone makes me nervy, l hate it.

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

blondguy — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 09:48:16 GMT

Hi Everyone

Hey Lynne.....thanks for the proactive post! Im sorry about the pain you are going through and the pain meds you have to take.....You mentioned " The first thing my optometrist asks is do you have a smart phone" You are similar to me when you mentioned that you have no incoming calls. I understand you Lynne...Same here

Hey MM....thanks for helping out with your life experience. I envy that you can have a deep sleep without the anticipation of an incoming call...I wish! After having cellphones since 1991 they sometimes feel like an electronic dog collar to me...You are strong Monkey! Always a bonus to have you on the forums 🙂

Hey RX.....always great to read your posts and thankyou for contributing to the discussion too! 🙂 The mute function is a bonus to having some extra peace of mind and good on you RX....Texting is a smart move too as we dont have to get 'bogged down' in a phone call when we are not up to doing so. Nice1 RX

thankyou amazing people

Paul

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

Quercus — Sat, 02 Nov 2019 03:45:34 GMT

Thanks Paul,

I like how you always make an effort to include everyone in your replies.

It made me smile to read 'people can always knock on my door'.

I prefer putting what energy I do have (and some days it isn't much) into having a few close friends that I see in person. It is nice to have the ability to communicate with people further away though.

My Mum in law once said to me that it's important when you are unwell to make sure you're investing in real friends (the sort that will make time to come in person when they can).

It made me look at the energy I spent on maintaining too many conversations (or feeling guilty for not being able to) and how it affected me.

I am learning to accept I can only do what I can and if I don't put my health as a priority noone else will. On the plus side it shows very quickly who accepts you 'faults' and all.

I hope you're doing well Paul.

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

Guest5643 — Sat, 02 Nov 2019 04:36:36 GMT

Hi paul

Well my 2 weeks lastest 2 days😅

Lynne

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

blondguy — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 13:46:31 GMT

Hi Everyone...New members are always welcome to post too!

Hey Quercus.....thanks heaps for the complimentary post and your great support on this topic....I do try hard to acknowledge members who have taken the time to post....When I dont you know my brain is very 'tired' 😉 Thanks for asking Quercus....I am doing better now x

Quercus mentioned "It made me look at the energy I spent on maintaining too many conversations (or feeling guilty for not being able to) and how it affected me" Great post!!

Hey Lynne....always a bonus to read your posts! Your 2 weeks lasting 2 days is just fine!....All that matters is that we understand the benefits of using the 'Mute' button 🙂 Thanks for your support on this thread topic 🙂

Some people can have their mobile on 24/7 and good on them!. I just dont want to be on 'standby' with leaving my phone on 'in case' anyone calls..Just for me my health comes first by turning it off...

I hope everyone has had a good weekend

Paul

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

Guest_9043 — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 11:08:04 GMT

Great thread. Before 2019 I had a relationship so to speak with my phone. It was starting to change though, I felt so inconvenienced by phones. I mean when I was a kid we had a house phone, no mobiles. If someone rang for you they left a message and you called them back.

Now we are glued to the damn things. It's changed so fast really, perhaps too dangerously fast.

Anyway after I left Domestic Violence in June this year I hated hated hated my phone so much because of the now ex. It was a way to abuse me when I was not with her. The constant messaging and ringing. I would end up turning my phone off sometimes for a full 24 hours cause I could not cope. When I left I changed my number. I had to obviously.

Aside from that though I couldn't stand the sound of my phone ringing or a text message alert. Even with the phone being on silent I did not want to talk or message unless absolutely necessary.

Where I stand now, no one has my number besides professionals and businesses I may deal with. One person has my number that I know personally has it. That's it though.

It's on silent a lot. I don't ever turn it off. I use it to look at the time, the calendar, set an alarm if I need too. Write reminder lists and to make phone calls that are necessary. I still don't like it much though because it does give me major anxiety reminding me of the abuse I endured and getting really horrible phone calls. Not just the perp but the police as well when she had gone on one of her mental illness rampages. I'd rather not have a phone at all.

Your Mobile Phone...When Do You turn it off?

blondguy — Thu, 28 Nov 2019 08:32:41 GMT

Hi 2quik

Thankyou for your complimentary post and being part of the discussion too!

You have written an excellent post 2quik. When we become 'slaves' to our phones it doesnt help our well being at all. I had the first Motorola 'Brick' phone with a hands free car kit when I was in corporate and as per work commitments we have a 'duty' to answer any incoming calls of course (as you mentioned)

After 30 years using cell phones the last thing I want to hear is my phone ringing...Like yourself having a relationship gone sour can be even more painful if we leave our phone on

Just my humble opinion....I think we can have more peace in our lives by not 'being on alert' where incoming calls are concerned..(with my anxiety its a huge benefit to turn it off after hours when I need to have time out)

2quik mentioned "no one has my number besides professionals and businesses I may deal with. One person has my number that I know personally.. has it" Great post 2quik 🙂

my kind thoughts

Paul