A new book The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt details the rise of the phone based childhood and it's impact on the mental health of our children.
The phone and social media addiction is not only afflicting our children but also our adult population. The continuous screen time and endless flickering from one image to another has shortened our attention spans and of course ramped up our ADDD.
There is a better way.
We need active parenting. I know raising three Lovebirds the challenges facing parents. The burden is even heavier for single parent families. Our Mom raised four boys as a single mother and she was tough on us and we were tough on her. And while we had many rough days, she stayed the course made sure we stayed on the right path and was our heroine.
We know it's easy to stick the kids in front of the tv, phone, or let them play video games. Parents do need to catch their breath every now and then. But there is a better way. Do a little homework, read a book, go outside and play. Less screen time is of the utmost importance. And there is a cure for anxiety, depression, and a way to dramatically improve our mental health.
The simple answer is Nature.
We spend 99% of our time indoors these day at most of that is in front of some type of screen. If we can spend more time outdoors, in the soft sunshine, deep breathing in the fresh air, and letting nature wash over us and naturally decompress us. When we combine a little exercise little walking or jalking which is the combination of walking interspersed with sprinting or running.
There are three easy, free, exercise that we can do every day -
- Get outside and breath in the fresh air. Try the deep breathing method of first exhaling from the mouth with your tongue pressed to the roof of your mouth. Next inhale through the nose while comfortably holding your breath and then exhaling through the mouth with your tongue against the roof of your mouth. Repeat 4 times. And try to do it throughout the day.
- Get exposure to the soft sun. Whether it's the morning or late afternoon. The sun is essential for life. Avoid sunburn at all times. Soft gentle sun is what we need.
- Grounding or earthing. Simply walking barefoot in in the grass, on the beach enables us to to plug into the earth's beneficial electromagnetic waves. Our entire body and heart is an electrical impulse. Grounding is a way to naturally reduce inflammation in the body.
A little prayer power goes a long way. Regardless of your faith, try connecting with our highest divine self. We are made in the image of God and when we get to know this power that resides within in all of us we can achieve anything.
And as Jesus told us, "You can do all that I have done and more, if you but believe"
With Love,
Coach K
