NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A follow up to our FUELED Wellness 7-Day Quiet Mind Challenge from last week. It is centered on three simple strategies that take less than five minutes a day – yet, followed consistently – can yield tremendously stress-reducing results.
The term self-care is thrown around a lot these days, but too often it can feel like one more thing to add to our already-packed schedules. The reality is that most of us are on sensory overload; external distractions are constantly vying for our attention – and winning.
Scroll Consciously | The average person spends more than 4 hours a day on mobile devices, according to mobile-analytics firm data.ai. This constant stimulation reduces our attention span, interferes with our memory, and negatively impacts our brain’s reward pathways so that we want more and more – not unlike those addicted to drugs or gambling. read more here.
3 strategies to better manage our phones, our breathing, and – ultimately – our stress.
1. Beat your Personal Pickup Record. How many times do you pick up your phone? Aim to reduce this by at least 20% for the next 10 days. (Don’t be too hard on yourself; Molly’s daily average currently is 59 pickups, with the highest this week at 90 pickups).
Find your personal pickup history:
- iPhone users: settings => screen time => see all activity, then scroll down to see pickup data.
- Android users: settings => Digital Wellbeing => show your data.
2. Add Focus Time to Your Mobile Device
Focus time is about minimizing distractions. It temporarily silences all notifications—or allows only specific notifications (for example, ones that match your task) – and let other people and apps know you’re busy.
3. Breathe with Purpose with the 4-7-8 Breathing Technique | read more here
The 4-7-8 breathing technique involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. This deep, mindful breathing can be a powerful stress management tool, helping us to clear our minds, improve symptoms of anxiety, reduce blood pressure, pause before we react, and may help us fall asleep.
Aim to incorporate 4-7-8 breathing at least twice daily; also during moments of stress or pressure, and at bedtime.
FUELED Wellness + Nutrition is powered by Smoothie King. Learn about Eat Fit at Smoothie King; click here for the full list of Eat Fit options available at Smoothie King, proud sponsor of FUELED Wellness + Nutrition with Molly on WGNO.
*Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD is a registered dietitian + nutrition journalist in New Orleans, and founder of Ochsner Eat Fit nonprofit restaurant initiative. Tune in to her podcast, FUELED | Wellness + Nutrition and follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @MollyKimballRD. See more of Molly’s articles + TV segments at www.mollykimball.com, and sign up for Eat Fit Wellness Bites weekly newsletter, here.
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