It’s no secret, I love beauty and wellness—a career and passion of mine for nearly half of my life. I also adore books and when I can find a title that promotes well-being and a healthy, beautiful life, I’ve got to get my hands on it.

For this week’s #WeeklyWellness2021 Challenge I spent time each day perusing the pages of Paul Greenberg’s Goodbye Phone, Hello World and soaking in the beautiful illustrations by Emiliano Ponzi.

Week 29 of Weekly Wellness: Easy Aromatherapy

The title of the book drew me in as I’ve been trying to come to terms with the effect that technology, specifically smart phones, have on our lives and overall wellness. In Goodbye Phone, Hello World, Greenberg shares 60 ways to disconnect from tech and reconnect to joy from both his own experience and experts alike, giving “reality check” blurbs throughout the pages with fascinating statistics from time spend of devices to the corporations marketing to us and cashing in our every digital move.

He goes through the journey of exchanging his smart phone for the archaic yet functional flip phone to strengthen his relationship with his son and improve areas of mind, body, relationships and environment.

Time Wasted and Time Gained

Most adult Americans spend about four hours on their cell phones every day and as Greenberg breaks down—two months and 1,400 hours out of every year. Sadly, teens report even higher device use.

For the last several years, I’ve set up various parameters on my personal cell phone and social media. Research has pointed to the negative effects on mood, self-esteem, and productivity, and I’ve experienced first hand the icky/deflated feelings that come from too much use. Regular week-long ‘fasts’ from addicting apps have helped pull me out of the black hole of digital overuse.

These days smartphones are extremely helpful and social media is a crucial part of running many businesses, but taking control of the your overall goals, desires, and well-being are part of the equation for success. I’ve picked three points from Goodbye Phone, Hello World that stood out to me and am working on implementing them into my phone life-balance.

1. Stop Idling

 In the environmental section of the book, Greenberg writes about the negative impact of idling due to distracted device use. In addition to motor vehicle idling, I hope to stop idling on phones while out and will strive to instead look around and make eye contact, see the world around me, and smile. My husband and I play a game every time we go out to dinner where the number one rule is to keep your phone tucked away.  Meanwhile, we look around the restaurant where typically couples sit ignoring each other’s company in favor of screens. I’ll take my pride in winning the game and some actual human connection.

2. Make Your Tech Stupider So You Can Be Smarter

Greenberg argues that instead of letting your phone do all the work, give some credit back to the brain. Disable certain apps that act like crutches, turn to pen and paper once in a while or downgrade to an older version of technology completely.

3. Check for Tics

The book states the importance of taking inventory of your physical and emotional state, and the motivation of what makes you reach for your phone, identifying, and naming these cues. “Practiced over time, you can come to understand what is necessary and what is obsessive,” Greenberg writes.

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I’d love to hear how you practiced self-care this week! How do you manage device use? What should I try next? Tag me on Instagram @SLCBeautyBabe or @SpaandBeautyToday with tips and suggestions for next week!

Alisha Racker’s beauty career has spanned over a decade as she's worked as a master esthetician, skin care PR-pro and freelance writer. She lives in the beautiful mountains of Salt Lake City with her husband and daughter. Follow her on Instagram: @alisharacker