Strive for Digital Wellness

I recently had an interesting conversation with another yoga practitioner about what we notice in classes. One of the things they pointed out is how distracted people seem to be during a live, in-person session, especially by electronic devices.

This person isn't in my classes, and isn't a teacher, but was still concerned about:

• How many people take photos of themselves during class for social media—without the consent of others around them who might also appear in the snaps.

• Don't shut off notifications, so they disrupt the carefully curated peaceful environment.

• Are too busy checking their phones or Internet-connected fitness watches that they interrupt class asking for information to be repeated because they missed it.

I found all their comments fascinating. As an instructor, I try not to "police" class participant activities too often, but have run into many of the same things. Fortunately, the majority of regular participants in our sessions are extremely contentious and follow key guidelines established to benefit everyone. But when I've subbed for other instructors, these behaviors are common, and have intensified over the past few years.

From my birds' eye view, I see it happen probably more than class participants do, and have only intervened a few times. In one instance, the response was, "Oh, I have to check my phone until my child gets home." Okay, fair enough. Another time, someone said they were reviewing their heart rate...but their email page was open. One person told me that I didn't have any right to tell them to shut off their phone, even though there was a sign on the studio wall requesting exactly that. And in one other situation, I simply turned-over a person's phone as they scrolled social media during class!

Here's one comment that really sticks with me, though:

"I don't like silence, and I don't want to miss something important."

These are two completely different psychological states of being.

Not liking silence has numerous implications unique to each individual that likely won't be—and shouldn't be—resolved in a 60-minute yoga class. However, the FOMO response is driven by our constantly connected culture—and emerging research into "digital overload" continues to reveal that the distraction isn't good for our mental or emotional health long term. So, if someone finds it challenging to turn off their phone or not check a watch alert during a 60-minute yoga class, that behavior might require closer examination.

Some mental health experts suggest a full-on digital detox, while others recommend simply more intentional focus on digital wellness (and this site offers tips for how to foster that.)

Ultimately, it might be helpful to remember that, similar to choosing to practice yoga, deciding to prioritize that time for your health requires a commitment to not let other aspects of life distract from this opportunity to focus on the self-care you deserve. And if you truly have a concern about silence—and again, there could be many valid reasons for this—please seek therapeutic care. You deserve that, too.

Photo courtesy of Rob LaVeck on Unsplash