My Smart Phone

On Wednesday, I attended my monthly MOPS meeting and we had a fantastic speaker who spoke to each component of "Be You Bravely".  Now I could write a very long blog on my take of the speaker, however I wanted to speak to something she spoke of in particular, technology.  Technology is everywhere and we rely on it so much!  Everything we need is at the swipe of a finger on our smart phones and after listening to this wonderful lady and remembering some other things I heard at MomCon in October, it finally hit me...I use my phone way too much!  I am actually embarrassed to tell you all how much I look at my phone and better yet how many times I told the kids to just wait until I am finished reading something on the phone.  Really Lindsay?

Yesterday I took some time to see how much I used my phone and I logged my time I used the phone, and honestly I probably use it more when I am not keeping tabs on myself.  I  checked my email, Facebook, and text messages all before I got up out of bed.  For some reason I felt that the outside world had solved the world problems while I slept and I had to see what I may have missed.  I found myself checking my phone after I made sure the kids had breakfast, and checked my phone before we left to go to a preschool activity.  After we get done with our activity I am checking my phone again, at this point it is to check my text messages, but since the phone was there and the kids were eating a snack I decided to check those notifications that just had to be read before we drove home!  We get home and I check my email.  We get ready for lunch and I am on my phone again grabbing that Pinterest recipe for dinner.  I even take my phone downstairs to the treadmill so I can gauge my workout steps, and add my food and water intake for the day to the MyFitnessPal app.  I just my phone after I play a game with my kids to make sure I didn't miss a text message because I have my phone on silent so I don't hear those annoying notification noises, but it doesn't matter if there is a noise I still am drawn to that ridiculous phone.  I take my daughter to dance class and because I am burned out, I let Ayden use my phone while I am trying to keep him content during the 30 minutes of dance.  We get home, I turn the phone on so the kids can brush their teeth to the timer on the phone and then I put the phone on my nightstand because I will have to check my phone before I go to bed.  Roughly I spent over two and half hours on my phone!

I complain constantly how there is not enough time in the day, but maybe if I put the darn phone down I could find further time to do the things that really mattered, or better yet just be still.  I know, what a concept right?  It took probably hearing phones are an issue from three speakers before I even made the connection that I have a problem.  I have come to the conclusion of this, I am on the phone too much.  So what am I going to do about it?  Lets be honest I need to delete that Facebook app and I need to put some restrictions on this ridiculous piece of technology.  And that is what I am going to do.  I am going to delete the Facebook app, and limit myself to checking Facebook on the computer to the morning and evening when the kids are in bed because honestly this should not be taking from my kids.  Now I am not sure how I am going to restrict my text messages as I feel the need to respond to those, however I am willing to take any suggestions if you have them.  I think I need to simply not have my phone be an accessory of every day life.  The fact that Ayden will see my phone on the counter and he brings it to me, makes me feel he thinks mommy needs her phone all the time.

This post really is to get you all thinking about how much you use your phone, not make you feel guilty, just bring things into perspective.  My change begins now, and I will keep you posted on how it's working out for me:)  As for you, make that change or as always, suggestions are welcome.