About Phone Use, Digital Overload, and Burnout
Last week, we touched on this idea of “burnout” and gave some information on quick and easy ways to reduce burnout (beyond seeing a therapist). If you’re struggling with feelings of burnout, I encourage you to read that article to get a better understanding of burnout in general and how to fix it.
Specifically, however, we talked about getting off of your phone, and I think it’s time to elaborate on that a bit more to explain why it’s not only a good idea, but *necessary* for those that have frequent and recurring burnout issues.
For specific information or to get help with your mental health, please reach out to me today. I’m a therapist in New Canaan, CT, and licensed in Connecticut AND New York for those that would like help with their mental health.
“My Phone Relaxes Me”
Most of us know, or have heard, people tell us to get off of our phones. But many of us also find that when the world feels chaotic and stressful, our phones are our way of tuning it all out and relaxing. Scrolling social media, especially, is a “veg out” activity, where people find that they’re able to escape their stresses and tasks by zoning out to social media for an extended period of time.
At the time, and on the surface, this is what it typically does accomplish. We’re overwhelmed by the world, we go on our phones and tune it all out, and then we feel like we had a break. But if you’ve noticed, that break doesn’t last very long. It’s not like we get off our phones and are instantly productive. Many of us get off our phones and get overwhelmed again, leading us back to being on our phones.
Why would that be?
To understand this, we first have to understand the human brain. Anything your brain sees or hears it tries to process. Every tree, car engine, every piece of clothes you try on at the store. Most of these things are simple and easy to process, and they’re either stored in long term memory or eliminated. Either way, it is not that difficult for your brain to manage.
But digital media is different. When we scroll Tiktok, or Twitter, or Instagram, we’re seeing hundreds if not thousands of different complex pieces of information all at once, all in short clips and images. We’re seeing much, much more than our brains are typically able to handle.
Overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of information and focused on trying to review it, your brain “shuts down,” in a sense, which is why you feel relaxed.
But, behind the scenes, your brain is working extra, extra hard. So hard, in fact, that it causes significant stress to an already overwhelmed brain. Your mind is trying to process *all* the information that it sees and getting overloaded to such a degree that it becomes stressed, even when you don’t realize it.
And what happens when you are *already* stressed, without even engaging in any other activities?
You get overwhelmed, and you get burnt out.
Off Your Phone with a Therapist
It’s hard for all of us to be truly off of our phones these days, but we can dramatically reduce how much time we spend on it, and we can replace our phone coping time with coping strategies and cognitive tools that actually work.
It often helps to start by working with a therapist – someone that can address stress, anxiety, and more, all to help you address burnout in more productive ways. Ready to get started? Reach out to me today.