My phone has died…
Well the battery anyway.
I’d noticed it lifting out of its case slightly, but never really thought anymore about it.
Then my husband noticed it and said we should get it checked out.
So finally on Saturday, when we were in a local shopping centre, we stopped at a mobile phone repair place.
I think I started with ‘should I be worried about this,’ as I pressed it back into the case…
The poor woman behind the counter was almost beside herself…
DON’T PRESS IT!
DON’T PUT IT ON CHARGE!
DON’T HAVE IT IN YOUR HOUSE!
Righto…
A quick search and you will immmediately find:
A swollen phone battery is a critical safety hazard caused by trapped gas from chemical breakdown, resulting in a fire or explosion risk.
Now I’m a reasonably smart person, but it hadn’t even occured to me that this was what was going on.
When I think about it charging up in our bedroom every night…
Or the fact that Michael had it in his back pocket while we were shopping that morning…
Our choice was replace the battery or buy a new phone.
My first reaction was ‘I can’t be without a phone’.
But did I really want to fork out for an expensive new phone?
So new battery it is…
It was acually quite liberating Sunday and Monday with no phone, but Michael was at home so it wasn’t exactly difficult to communicate with each other.
Yesterday was my first challenge.
(Well not really – I still had access to a laptop!)
But rather than starting the day having a quick scroll through news, social media etc. I picked up this month’s copy of Prevention magazine and came across a fascinating article…
Reclaim your brain…
In it a neuroscientist is quoted saying we think that going on our phones is a break, but according to her research – it’s not.
Apparently 20 minutes of phone time decreases your attention span, your ability to make decisions, and makes you more stressed and anxious.
Another doctor who runs a brain health clinic says she often notices her patients have high beta waves – a sign of overstimulation.
Her solution?
Meditation.
And she advises we should make time for it every day.
So what else should we do?
Well it’s probably no surprise that a good diet, exercise and sleep are also key to reducing stress and inflammation in our bodies…
And (I might have mentioned this once or twice over the years) walking in nature is one of the best brain resets we can do.
But this quote in the article really sat with me…
“Brain health is mental health. If your brain is the hardware, your mental health is the software. Both need to be in good working order for mental performance,” – Nicole Vignola.
So I’m actually enjoying a few days without my phone!
For example, this morning Michael said to me ‘have you liked my post?’
We both got the chuckles as he looked across at me stroking my magazine page saying ‘no, don’t seem to be able to see that!’
Apps can be great fun and incredibly useful, but it’s also great to not have an app for that!
Oh, and if you notice the battery in your phone/device is swollen – please take it to an expert – quickly.
Ann 🙏