Sky time vs Screen time
I'm currently in the middle of a digital detox I have named "No Social November" This Is a month long fast from Instagram and Facebook, my social media of choice. I've never had TikTok on Twitter so cutting IG and FB is a great challenge as well as a reset for my nervous system. As it has in previous years, this "No Social November" makes me question more than just my social media use, I'm really reviewing my screen time overall.
The average American spends close to 5 hours watching TV per day and 4.5 hours on their phone. These numbers are staggering to me! Like many folks, I use my laptop and phone for work but wow these stats are bonkers. Is there really that much TV to watch? How are people spending any time living when they are looking at a screen for potentially a 1/3 of the day?
For my own stats: I spend about 5 hours watching TV a month. This is a rough guess because I don't watch TV every day or even for most of the week. I literally don't know how to turn on the TV in my house and if I wasn't married to my husband I wouldn't have one at all. I spend about 3 - 3.5 hours on my phone / day and I would love to cut this down to 2 hours. Sometimes the phone usage is necessary like for GPS while driving and sending a silly amount of text messages (sorry, not sorry, I'm a Gemini and like to chat) And sometimes it's watching dog videos on IG...yes, while sitting next to my dog. I share this because I think my screen time is at or below average but it still feels like too much for my brain and eyes as well as my hormones and nervous system.
I have noticed a distinct difference in how I feel based on how much time I spend in front of a screen and how much time I spend in front of nature. Sky time and screen time impact me, heck all of us, in big and small ways.
Screen time makes me feel sluggish or hungry. It sometimes makes my eyeballs or belly hurt, especially if what I am watching is angry or disrupting in some way. When I am in front of a screen I often feel bored and detached, less engaged despite staring at moving images. I feel my heart rate and blood pressure go up with a screen, I notice my jaw clenches.
Sky time feels much more nourishing than screen time. This is the time when I'm looking at the ocean, clouds or gazing up at the trees. When I get more sky time, I have lower blood pressure and higher tolerance for BS. I am less angry and more kind. When I interact with screens more, I notice that I am reactive, not so easy going. Even though I'm still sitting or laying down as if I was engaged with a screen, when basking in sky time I feel like I could be a better version of myself.
Sky time is what regulates the nervous system and promotes a health sleep cycle. Sky time helps boost mental health and improves hormone function. Sky time is when I get some of my best ideas and flashes of inspiration, allowing my mind to go blank so creativity can flow. As a health coach, I encourage my coaching clients to follow the guideline of "skies before screens" Get outside to get natural sunlight in your eyeballs before you start the e-mails, scrolling or news cycles that exist on the screens.
Some of my favorite memories of childhood involve laying the grass and looking at the clouds to see what shapes they made. I love walking through the forest and staring up at the canopy swaying in the breeze. When I stare at the waves crashing on the shore I notice my jaw unclenches and I'm more relaxed. Pausing by a waterfall for a few minutes to feel the power and force of the water fills me with hope and wonder.
Do I think I could live a life without screens? No, I don't think that's feasible. Because I love texting and it's how I communicate and build relationships. I love funny memes and videos. I love writing blog posts like this one on a laptop...not a typewriter. I need my e-mail to communicate with clients and it's how I send invoices to run my business. I need my phone to check into a flight or to listen to podcasts while waiting for that (likely delayed during the government shutdown) flight. A screen-free life isn't any more realistic than giving up a car to return to the days of traveling by horse.
And yet, I can certainly minimize how much time I engage with screens. If I can avoid the screen, be it my laptop or phone (TV, as I mentioned, isn't my screen of choice, but it might be for you) in the first and last hour of the day, it really helps. I don't have a TV in my bedroom. I use blue light blocking glasses. I turn my screen brightness way down and mute the colors. I take microbreaks away from the screen during the day and yes I take a month off of social media.
So my challenge to you as we head towards the darker time of the year is to find more sky time. To notice how much TV you're watching, notice how many times you pick up your phone. Are you using the phone as a tool (to get where you're going with GPS, scan a boarding pass, make a payment to your dog sitter) or just scrolling because you're bored. When that anxious feeling arises, when boredom or frustration hits, please pause and go outside. Spend 10 mins looking at the sky and see how you feel afterwards. I am confident you'll feel so much better!
Now get out there homie, stop staring at the screen. See you in the nature!