Feel Good Friday – I Dare You

Every Friday we team up with the Canadian Mental Health Association Lambton Kent for FEEL GOOD FRIDAYS!  Sharing tips and tricks for taking care of your mental health, and things you can do to help you FEEL GOOD!

Because that’s what we need to do through all this – focus on those things that help us feel good.

This week is all about limiting screen time.  I say that to my kids and you’d think they’d seen a ghost.  Limiting screen time is like giving up breathing.

It’s a shock to the system for most of us.  I know I’m guilty of it.  Spending more time scrolling than doing anything productive.  It’s easy to get lost in the online world.  Notifications lure us in.  One minute we’re checking a notification, two hours later we’re still scrolling and wondering where the time went and why we’re feeling more agitated.

It’s a challenging time for sure, and working and studying at home, it’s hard to step away from the screen.  We’re inside more and more and that’s lead to an increase in our daily screen time usage.  It’s true that some of our screen time is unavoidable – we need it for work and school.  But some studies show that too much of that screen time may be associated with increase risk of mental health issues, so it’s super important to find healthy ways to cope in order to decrease your risk.

Try setting a limit to how long you’ll let yourself scroll and use the rest of the time to call a family member or friend. Try reminding yourself what kind of positive activities the screen might be replacing and set up realistic rules for yourself.  What is something you COULD be doing instead?  I seriously have to hide my phone to avoid the temptation.  I also set limits on my phone so it forces me to take a break.

I dare you this weekend to set aside time to get away from your screen.  And see how much better you feel.  I expect a full report on Monday.  I’ll do it too.  No social media.  Pinky swear.

As always, the CMHA Lambton Kent reminds you to seek help if you need it.  They offer many programs and services that may be right for you.

For immediate assistance, do not hesitate to contact our Mental Health First Response Team, available 24/7:

Chatham Kent: 1-866-299-7447

Sarnia Lambton: 1-800-307-4319”

Stay in touch – send me an email anytime – cbuchanan@blackburnradio.com

Categorised in: Afternoons, Afternoons Fridays

This post was written by Carrie Buchanan