Shannon D Martin: 0:00

Hello, beautiful welcome to today's conversation, where we're going to talk about tech and mental health finding the balance. Let's talk about it. I am your host, Shannon Martin, and welcome to today's episode of this Thing Called Wellness. Hello and welcome back.

Shannon D Martin: 0:19

I hope you're doing well and have had a great start to your week. I'm Chugging Along and I'm glad you are tuning in as we talk about tech and mental health. First thing first. We have a cool new feature called Fan Mail. If you are an iOS user meaning you have an iPhone and you'd like to let me know how I'm doing, leave feedback, ask a question, suggest a show topic or just say hey, girly, you can text me now. There's a link in the show notes at the top. Click on the link and you will see a show of numbers pop up in the text box. Don't delete them, just click a couple of spaces and leave me a text message. I can't wait to receive my first fan mail. So now that I have that out the way, let's get to the conversation. I just asked you to leave me fan mail by texting me via technology inside my podcast link.

Shannon D Martin: 1:16

This alone shows you how technology has become a natural part of our lives. We carry it in our hands every day. We have a mini computer that we can use to take pictures, facetime, record videos of our fun things together, get on the internet and upload those videos and photos into stories and reels on our social media platform. It's the norm, right? It's normal to sit down and scroll through TikTok and listen to the latest trends or rap battle that's going on, and we can then message our friends about it, have a whole conversation via messenger text or even send voice memos. Technology is so embedded in our lives that sometimes I really don't understand how we lived without it growing up. But there's a delicate balance that we must find for it not to become toxic and create habits of isolation With the impact of technology, the positive aspects of it, and finding balance within it.

Shannon D Martin: 2:16

We have to be aware that being plugged in for too long can really heighten our anxiety, depression, depression and even our self-esteem. So, for instance, let's say you're going through a rough patch and go down that rabbit hole of social media and see all the false lives that people are putting out there on social media, you can quickly fall into a deeper depressed state. It takes you away from your present. It makes you wish you would have, could have and should have done this or that right. We're humans and we need human interactions. So when we're sitting behind our keyboards and phones admiring others' lives, sometimes having our mental illnesses, it can trigger our desires to do nothing. Illnesses. It can trigger our desires to do nothing Instead of us getting out and enjoying our own lives and creating our own memories with family and friends. This can cause us to withdraw. So if you have ever felt this way or are feeling this way, let's just unplug and take in some air. Let's go for a walk, reconnect with our friends or just do what I'm going to start doing and become friends with myself. When you can't meet up with your girlfriends, you know you have crazy schedules. They live like here. My friends are an hour, sometimes an hour and a half away out sometimes, so I just decided that I'm going to become my own best friend. I know it sounded like a Beyonce song, but for now, until our busy lives slow down and we can get on each other's calendars and catch up, I'm going to take myself to lunch, I'm going to take myself to a movie, maybe do some shopping. It may be on Amazon or online, but I'm just going to make sure that I get out and I'm going to get to living.

Shannon D Martin: 4:09

Technology is best when it brings people together. Matt Mullenweg, the positive aspect of technology is that we can use it for personal growth and learning. I wanted to learn about what was going on with me and my illnesses. I took to the internet YouTube, audio books, e-books, you name it. I wanted to learn about what was going on with my mental state when I was in a better place, right, and I can start absorbing the information correctly. I started to learn what I was not doing and how to improve on the habits that I was halfway doing. I was able to learn about gut health, learning that food is medicine and that eating differently than what I was used to and when I was brought up, eating, can help ease a lot of issues that I was experiencing. On the days that I needed to fuel my mind and body, I could use the Apple Plus app, connect it to my Roku TV and choose a meditation class to work on my grounding, or try a yoga class to get me moving. There are wellness and mindfulness apps, like the Calm app I know we've all heard of that that I can use as I'm walking or moving through the house. That can help me with my breathing, or someone famous can tell me a story to calm my mind and help center myself. How awesome is that? Right? The positive ways to use technology are endless today, but we have to remember that, as we're going through all the apps and enjoying ourselves, always set a limit to unplug and be present. Technology should improve your life, not become your life. Billy Cox, finding a delicate balance between the impact and positivity that technology can have on our mental health is a harmonious act. We are truly in a time where everything is literally in our hands and it's fantastic. But you have to know when too much is too much and set healthy tech boundaries. But you have to know when too much is too much and set healthy tech boundaries.

Shannon D Martin: 6:15

When I go through horrible, depressed moods or I need a fix, as I call it, I find myself either going down the scroll train of TikTok for animal funniest moments or playing my games on my iPad, and I am on there for hours at a time. I'm just scrolling, laughing and playing my games. I talked about it with my counselor and found out why I had an urge to finish a room while I was playing my games, and we found out that I had a need to finish things. Who knew right? So, looking at this through the lens of a child who isn't ready to go to bed yet, I had to tell my inner self, my inner child okay, five more minutes. Whether you finish the room or not, it's time for bed. And it worked. No more late nights up trying to fulfill this. Need I found my harmony? I don't play the game as much anymore. Need I found my harmony? I don't play the game as much anymore. I'm more focused on getting in bed in a timely manner so that I can get on a better sleep routine. By putting screen timers on my devices, I'm now truly shutting down what I'm scrolling on TikTok, shutting down on Instagram. When I'm in that mild scrolling, I am finding my harmony or balance with it. Once you find out why you are doing this, the desire seems to not be so great. Mindful moment.

Shannon D Martin: 7:46

We talked about finding balance between technology and our mental health. We are truly in a digital space where we use technology for everything. I use my phone for my grocery list. I shop at sam's club and literally scan all my items and pay for my food on my phone. I can even connect alexa to my phone to create my grocery list. With voice commands, I can speak into my remote control and say what station or streaming service I want to watch. I don't have to go into the doctor's appointment if I don't want to. I have an option of telehealth appointments. The use of technology is endless. I never thought that I would have a mini computer that I use daily as a phone to give me directions to any location I want to go, or to even order food for delivery or an Uber.

Shannon D Martin: 8:37

Times have truly changed, but the basics are still the same. Set boundaries for yourself, disconnect from social media If it becomes too toxic, delete the apps for a while. Or if your job doesn't require you to use social media apps, take them off your phone for a while to just release the urge to surf. Set time limits for yourself If you're with your family and friends.

Shannon D Martin: 9:02

After you've taken your pictures and edited them and all that good stuff, put your electronics down and enjoy each other's company and just be in the moment. And by all means, declutter your devices. Have you really looked at your computer and your phones and seen what's really going on over there? Because I have a ton of apps that I'm just ready to delete. Get rid of all that clutter and clear up your space. Not only will you have more space for your music or more fun photos of times that you have with your people, but it would also clear your mind. No more scrolling and searching for a pizza app only to see that you have five or six, seven more apps that you will never use. It's just mind-blowing.

Shannon D Martin: 9:49

So what's the real thing here? Just really be mindful of what you consume, how it makes you feel and how much time you spend on your devices. If it's not great, it's time to make some changes for your well-being. You will thank yourself. Love you, girl. Thank you for joining me. I hope you found value in today's conversation, where we talked about tech and mental health finding the balance. I'm your host, Shannon Martin. Be sure to join us next Wednesday where we will discuss Understanding the Mind Body Connection. Until then, stay healthy and take care and don't forget to leave us fan mail. The link is at the top of the show notes. Text us and let us know how you enjoy our podcast.

Speaker 1: 10:51

You can stay connected with us across all our social media platforms at shannondwellness. We've got plenty of exciting things in store, be sure to stay On this journey, towards a healthier more vibrant you. Disclaimer I am not a licensed mental health professional. The information provided here is for general informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you need help, please consult a qualified mental health professional.