Jamie Waters’ article in the Guardian is food for thought during Mental Health Awareness Month: “According to addiction expert Dr. Anna Lembke, our smartphones are making us dopamine junkies, with each swipe, like and tweet feeding our habit. So how do we beat our digital dependency?”
“Scientific studies have observed the importance of “resting mental networks” meaning that, in between activities, people demonstrate “a synchronicity between different parts of the brain that has its own rhythm and breathing”, she says. It’s likely that this state contributes to original ideas and a general sense of wellness. Like the Dutch practice of niksen, which involves setting aside time each day to do nothing, it’s about being still with your thoughts.”
Article: https://www.theguardian.com/global/2021/aug/22/how-digital-media-turned-us-all-into-dopamine-addicts-and-what-we-can-do-to-break-the-cycle
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When we understand the science of what’s happening with scrolling and dopamine–it can make it easier to want to change our habits. This is where the power of mindful breath helps to calm the nervous system and reconnect to ourselves–for small moments of processing, presence and self-care. We hope this encourages you to change some habits this month (May is Mental Health Awareness Month) and utilize slow, mindful breath as a support system for balancing technology with humanity.
