On Mental Health, Behavior Change, and the Pitfalls of Technology

On Mental Health, Behavior Change, and the Pitfalls of Technology

Benefits and Pitfalls of Technology

We live in a fast-paced culture; one that will not cease to slow down. There are so many benefits to being connected anywhere and anytime, yet there are also many pitfalls to our highly technological lives.

We live in a world where we have lost ourselves in the latest Netflix binges, social media scrolls, and mass marketed culture. It’s no surprise that we need to take a reprieve from these idle indulgences and actually recharge our mental batteries; take care of our mental health first and foremost and abandon the craze.

We so often take for granted our mental health and forget to nourish ourselves in stimulating conversations, reading books, learning a new skill, writing, practicing mindfulness techniques like meditation, and being in nature, to name a few. With mental health left unchecked, it’s increasingly difficult to stick to making a positive behavior change, such as exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, and drinking more water.

Taking Care of Yourself

Self-care is not a luxury; it’s not bubble baths and bubbly, it’s getting real with yourself and being brave to storm through the uncomfortable moments, as well as the unknowns of making an authentic lifestyle change. It’s about tossing your ego aside, and humbly asking for a helping hand to navigate through the barriers to effective behavior change.

Roughly, 50% of people will abandon a behavior change goal within the first 6 months of starting a new exercise program.

The 8-5 work style doesn’t usually motivate employees to seek appropriate mental health-care or proper self-care strategies thereafter. Not to mention, seeking out such care from a mental health provider is often demonized by employers and the culture at large.  

What technology and our culture aims to teach us, is that we are always lacking in something- anything you could possibly think of. We’re not wearing the right clothes, we need to be a consumer of the hottest fitness fads, and designer labels, and the list goes on and on. It’s time to take your power back, and realize you are whole and more than adequate with what you already have. Real change starts and ends from within us, we just have to have the courage and conviction to dig a little deeper to attain the things we want most. 

-Danielle Scaffidi