Olivia Lee: 0:00

Spoiler alert no, I'm not simply going to tell you to turn off all your devices or say goodbye to social media and say it's evil, but I want us to rediscover the art of communication.

Olivia Lee: 0:12

Hey there, fellow introvert on stage, this show is a safe space for the soft souls to learn, connect and master communication. I'm Olivia Lee and you're listening to Introvert on Stage. Today. I wanted to talk about something that might not sound related to communication, but it is deeply connected. First of all, let me ask you this question what is the first thing you do the moment you wake up? If you said making your bed good for you, but I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of you thought of checking your phone.

Olivia Lee: 0:46

In today's digital world, where screens, big and small, dominate our attention and social media dictating our social interactions, we often forget the essence of true connection. Especially for introverts, the challenge is even more pronounced. The constant bombardment of digital stimuli can often feel overwhelming, whether it's endless notifications or mindless scrolling, leading to a disconnect from the real essence of genuine human interaction. As someone who has walked this path yes, a self-proclaimed introvert and a digital wanderer yes, me, olivia Lee I have personally explored the depths of this challenge myself and now ready to share some insights that I'm eager to share with you all. And spoiler alert no, I'm not simply going to tell you to turn off all your devices or say goodbye to social media and say it's evil, but I want us to rediscover the art of communication by discovering the joy of genuine human connections and our just simple humaneness that we can cherish both within and outside of our tiny little screens. So, whether you're bundled up in your favorite blanket with a cup of tea, or taking a peaceful walk outside, or stuck in traffic trying to get to work, you're all welcome here. So let's go on this journey together to learn, reflect and ultimately grow In a world where every notification, every buzz and every ring doesn't demand your immediate attention or response. Sounds peaceful, doesn't it? But let's face it, our reality is far from that picture. We live in an age where our smartphones are glued to our hands, our eyes are fixed on the screens and even behind the wheel. By the way, if you ever ask me what my biggest pet peeve is, it's texting while driving. You're not only putting yourself at risk, but endangering others' lives too. But okay, I'm getting heated, so this can wait for another time.

Olivia Lee: 2:50

Let's look at statistics. A recent study conducted by Rescue Time, a time management software company that tracks computer and smartphone usage to research digital habits and productivity, showed that the average person checks their phone about 58 times a day and spends around 4.5 hours on their mobile devices. That's a significant chunk of our waking hours. Now let's think about how this constant, if not all day, of digital engagement would impact our mind and social skills, especially for those of us who thrive in quiet environments. I've done this way too many times myself, but whenever I allow myself to have a quick 5 minute break after a 45 minute of productivity, I would get stuck in the social media black circle, mindlessly scrolling and scrolling, looking through dry humor that made me smirk.

Olivia Lee: 3:45

A cool DIY craft idea that I neatly saved into a folder that I know I'm never gonna look at, or sending 12 million reels to my boyfriend of different places and date spots that we should visit or eat at, which we never get back to because they get buried in the next 75 billion reels I continue to send to him after that. I don't know where I got those numbers from, but sometimes I feel bad because I even get a little salty when he doesn't check all the reels I send, but I would say it's physically impossible to watch everything that I send him in the span of 120 seconds. Sometimes I click send even before I'm done watching it, saying I'll watch it later. I never do. Anyways, what was supposed to be a 5 minute break, I finally look up to realize that it's been an hour and 12 minutes. True story I mean what? My brain was so convinced that I looked through only just a few short videos. They were not even 30 seconds each, so it's impossible that an hour went by. Does that sound familiar? Please don't tell me I'm the only one who does this, please.

Olivia Lee: 4:50

Anyways, I've experienced countless number of mindless scrolling let's just call it zombie scroll and I hadn't spoken a single word to my family, or even to myself, even when they're just a few steps away from me in the same house. Sometimes I would even find myself zombie scrolling when I'm on the phone with my boyfriend Sorry or my parents speaking directly to me, not registering a single word they shared with me. That was my awakening and my breaking point. All of these collective moments led me to embark on a digital detox journey, a journey where I reclaim my time, my thoughts and my connections in real life, and Trust me and continue to listen, because the insights I gained were life-changing and I really believe that everyone's smart enough to open up a podcast app and listen to this episode needs to hear this. Take this as a sign that this message was meant exactly for you.

Olivia Lee: 5:45

First, let me share with you the benefits of digital detoxing. Let's start with some obvious benefits, including better sleep and less eye strain. Being glued to my phone drastically worsened my vision to the point where we're in. Contact lenses started to become Excruciating and now I only wear glasses. You want to know why? Because I wasn't blinking enough. You might think it sounds stupid, but it's true. According to the American Academy of Optometology, one of the reasons we get digital eye strain is that we blink less when we stare at our devices. Normally, we blink around 15 times per minute, but this blink rate gets cut in half when staring at screens.

Olivia Lee: 6:28

Blinking is important for keeping our eyes moist and preventing dryness and irritation Reduce. Blinking can also affect the quality of our tears, which can lead to inflammation and blurred vision. That's why, when you look at a screen for such a long time and look up, everything seems a little blurrier. Therefore, being glued to your phone can reduce the number of blinking and thus worsen your vision over time, like it did for me and Continue to do for me. To prevent this, they recommend trying the 2020-20 rule, that's a mouthful every 20 minutes.

Olivia Lee: 7:02

Look away from your screen and focus on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. I would say at least 20 feet away, because I like to look at things further away, whether it's a mountain or a building, or even clouds floating by. The further away they are, they're better for your eyes. This can help relax your eye muscles and restore your natural blink rate. Higher screen time also leads to low-quality Sleep, because your eyes get exposed to blue light from the screen, which can suppress the production of melatonin, a Hormone that regulates your sleep cycle. So, instead of popping in melatonin pills at night saying you can't fall asleep, try putting your phone away.

Olivia Lee: 7:43

Screen time can also stimulate your brain and keep it alert, especially if you're engaging in activities that are exciting, stressful or mentally demanding, such as Reading the news or zombie scrolling on social media, which makes it even harder for you to relax and wind down before bed. So make sure to limit your screen time before bed, especially in the hour or two before you plan to sleep. Avoid using devices that emit blue light, such as smartphones, tablets, computers and TVs all of the screens that you can think of and, if you need to use them, turn on the night mode or use a Blue light filter that makes your screen look a little bit dull and yellow to reduce the brightness and color temperature of the screen, which lowers your eye strain, and you can also look up to automatically turn on night mode at a certain time. I do that at night so that if I do have to check my phone, it's not as draining for my eye. So we talked about some of the benefits of digital detoxing. So how, oh how, do we effectively try Digital detox without leaving you feel left out from life or feeling like you're living under a rock?

Olivia Lee: 8:54

Try this first Setting clear boundaries to find specific times or places where digital devices are no go. It could be during meals, one hour before bed or Sunday afternoons. For me personally, I promise myself that I won't check social media before noon other than for music or checking important business or school emails. It's harder than it sounds, because my phone just sits there waiting for me to unlock her by simply looking at her, but finally being able to look at social media after fighting that temptation feels even more rewarding and enjoyable than hours of zombie scrollings. That usually makes me feel hollow and dumb afterwards, and setting up limits can be helpful as well. For example, if you go to Instagram app, go to your profile, tap the menu icon on the top right corner and tap your activity and select time spent. You can see how much time you actually spend on the app and you can turn on the set daily time limit setting and set your desired time limit. Mine used to be a number that I'm not so proud to share, but after setting mine to 45 minutes per day, I spend generally around 36 minutes on the app.

Olivia Lee: 10:07

Instead of blaming social media for being addicting, we have to be wise and utilize the tools that they have in place to protect ourselves and our brains. Another tip is to be mindful of your phone usage, for instance, being conscious of why you're reaching out for your phone in the first place. Is it out of habit, boredom or genuine need? If you have an urgent email to respond to, you have to check the mail app to do so. If you're simply reaching for your phone because you have nothing better to do. Stop yourself and ask if it's simply out of habit or boredom, even if you continue to open the phone to zombie scroll. Being mindful and aware of your actions can bring clarity and if you're intentional, the first step of resolving an issue is to be aware of it in the first place. So the next time you find yourself reaching out for your phone, ask yourself hmm, am I about to open social media out of boredom or habit, and continue with the next step? I bet you're less likely to spend hours on social media because you are now aware of why you're reaching for that phone in the first place. And maybe you might think this is obvious, but you'll be surprised how many people don't know how to answer the question.

Olivia Lee: 11:19

What's your hobby? And please don't make scrolling mindlessly on social media for inspiration your hobby. If you found something interesting online instead of saving it in the folder you and I both know you'll never look at, close the phone and do it. Is it an inspiration for a new painting you wanted ideas for? Close out of your phone and paint that darn masterpiece. Or if it's for writing inspiration, that blog article won't write itself unless you start writing it down. No matter how many inspirations or motivations you have up there in your mind, nothing will truly be yours unless your body does the thing. Keep mind and body connection in mind and rediscover offline hobbies that don't require a screen. Here's a few examples Reading and no, not on a Kindle actual book, gardening, painting or just daydreaming, which I like to call meditating.

Olivia Lee: 12:15

And a bonus point that I personally find to be very helpful is to reflect in journal. I try to put my phone as far away as possible from my bed and my journal and pencil as close as possible right next to my bed, on a small nightstand, within an arm's reach, and I use the time I'm able to gain from being offline to reflect on my thoughts and feelings. I think of all the things I'm grateful for, what was memorable from today, even the tiniest little things that made me smile, to big core memories that I can take with me forever. Journaling personally has been such a powerful and empowering tool for me to keep track of my growth and a tool to better understand myself. Whenever I flip through the pages of my journal, I'm able to feel what I felt in the past, which enables me to empathize with myself better and give myself more credit instead of being so harsh on myself. Also, it's such a nostalgic feeling opening up my journal, because it brings back memories of me when I was a little girl, writing my deepest thoughts and secrets in my diary.

Olivia Lee: 13:19

I want to leave you with a thought, a light to guide you in the vast sea of our digital world. Our phones, our little screens. They're not just devices. They are windows to a world of information, connection and opportunity. They are powerful, and there's no denying that we needed to enhance the quality of our lives, both personally and professionally. But remember that so are you. You are in control. You have the power to decide when to open those windows and when to also close them and go enjoy the real world around you.

Olivia Lee: 13:56

Imagine a life where you control your digital interactions, not the other way around. A life where every notification, every buzz and every ring is a choice, not a compulsion. This is not about blaming or demonizing technology. It's about embracing it wisely, using it as a tool to enhance, not overshadow, the beauty of our genuine humanness. As we continue to live in this digital age, let's not forget the magic of our offline life the warmth of a handshake, the strength in a hug the unspoken understanding in a glance. These are all subtleties that no digital platform can ever replicate, and balancing online and offline interactions is the harmony that we should strive for.

Olivia Lee: 14:43

And speaking of balancing online and offline life, I'd love to hear how your digital detox journey is going After soaking in real life. Be sure to reach out to me via email, olivia at introvertonstagecom, or social media at introvertonstage, to share your story. So I challenge you today, dear listeners, to try digital detoxing, to be better communicators, even if it's just for a day or in the morning before noon, like I do, to just reconnect with the world beyond the little screen. Look into the eyes of your loved ones, listen to their voices without the backdrop of digital beeping and typing, and absorb the colors and vibrancy of life around you, the stories we share, the laughter that fills the room and even silent moments of understanding. These are the true treasures that enrich our souls, not viral cat videos Okay, maybe a little bit of cat videos, but you know what I mean. Thank you for listening and see you all next week. Bye-bye.