Twenty years ago, not everyone knew about the existence of cell phones. Today, abandoning mobile communications of one’s own free will is at least inconvenient. But what if you try to switch off for the holidays or at least for the weekend?
“Mobile communication saves our time and effort, allows us to do more, communicate with dear people more often,” notes psychologist Yevgeny Osin. “To completely deprive yourself of these opportunities is simply irrational.” Although for some of us, mobile has turned from an assistant into an object of real addiction. Every summer, 42-year-old Anna leaves for a village where there is no connection, and admits that this is the only way she can relax: “I am a marketer, I don’t part with my pipe – I have to respond at any moment, but on vacation I want freedom and peace, I want to belong only to myself and family. Friends always know where I am and how to get through to me.”
By turning off the phone for a while, you can focus on your feelings and on the activity that we now consider to be truly important. But deciding to be out of reach is not as easy as it seems. This gesture suggests that we will find the strength within ourselves to overcome three psychological obstacles.
The illusion of omnipotence. A person who knows that with the help of an electronic gadget he can literally do everything at the same time – receive information, communicate, play, work – experiences a heady feeling of omnipotence over himself and others. Having abandoned this “magic wand” for a while, it is useful to free yourself from such illusions.
The desire to do everything. With the help of a mobile phone, we instantly find a contact, plan meetings, specify the route … It allows us to be super efficient! But excessive efficiency has a downside: impatience and haste, short, extremely functional conversations can harm the quality of communication. We use this chance to restore full-fledged relationships.
Fear of disappointment. Leaving the phone on even at night, we seem to admit that we are ready to answer any call every minute. “Setting to satisfy all the expectations of other people is not only impossible, it is very difficult to be happy with it,” explains Evgeny Osin. – Before answering the phone, ask yourself: “Do I have time for this conversation right now?” A failed dialogue will not affect the essence of our relationship with another person: we will show respect for him if we call back later, when it is convenient for us. In the end, if we have the courage to sometimes disconnect from the network, both our interlocutors will benefit (by answering, we will be really ready to hear them), and we ourselves, having established ourselves in the right to freedom of choice.