Most of us spend five or more hours a day on our phones, and research suggests that the long hours can affect our mental and physical health.
Screen time can cause our breathing to become more shallow, a phenomenon known as “screen apnea.” Using your phone or tablet at bedtime can result in shorter and lower-quality sleep. Walking while using a phone affects how we move. And all this time on our devices — with their fast-moving, constant stimulation — is shrinking our attention spans.
Even with all these side effects, we’re unlikely to give them up. “Most of us are not going to go off the grid, and we don’t want to,” said Manoush Zomorodi, author of “Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being.”
“But we do need to rethink how we live with our tech,” she added.
So we’re going to help you strike that balance. We’ve created the “Touch Grass” Challenge, a month-long series of exercises to help you pause your scrolling and connect IRL.
Don’t worry: This isn’t a hard core digital detox. You don’t have to throw your phone into the ocean.
Every week in June, we’ll send you an evidence-based challenge to encourage you to step away from your screens and feel more alive. We will ask you to go outdoors, to spend time with people you love and to tap into your creativity.
Jancee Dunn, our Well columnist, will guide you — along with the help of experts, including neuroscientists, psychologists, sleep scientists and even a best-selling novelist.
By the end of June, we hope you’ll come away feeling calmer, healthier and replenished rather than distracted. And you’ll have the tools to reclaim your time and attention.
How to get started
First, make sure you’re signed up for the Well newsletter. If you already are, there is no need to do anything — an email will arrive in your inbox every Thursday in June.
If you haven’t received the newsletter before, you can use the module below to subscribe.
What you’ll get
Starting on June 4, the Well desk will share one challenge every week, with evidence-based tips and inspiration to help you log off, reclaim your time and attention and feel replenished rather than distracted. You’ll receive prompts, exercises and innovative ideas to help you unplug.
After the challenge ends, you will get our Well newsletter, which features guidance for living your healthiest life.
If you already receive the Well newsletter, you will automatically get the challenge, and will not see a way to sign up above. You can find out which newsletters you are signed up for here.
Jancee Dunn, who writes the weekly Well newsletter for The Times, has covered health and science for more than 20 years.
The post This 4-Week Challenge Will Actually Help You Get Off Your Phone appeared first on New York Times.
