Stop Taking Your Phone into the Bathroom
First and foremost, it’s gross. Let’s get that out of the way. It’s where we clean ourselves. Let the bathroom remain a haven for that. More importantly, sit back for a second and think about how much time you dedicate each day to…just yourself? I’m not talking about self care days, or spa days, or wine nights. I’m talking moments where you are just alone with your thoughts, in a positive way, critically thinking about past and future decisions and how you want to start and finish your day.
Call it COVID, but lately I’ve had a lot of time to be in the house and alone with my thoughts. If your house is anything like mine, there’s a distraction around every corner. The dog needs attention. My stomach needs food. The refrigerator needs me to open and close it at least six times an hour to make sure the nothing I have in there is…still in there. I could go on and on.
The bathroom though, it’s special. It serves very few purposes, but I know exactly what I’m going to do the moment I walk in, no matter how long it takes. But then, there’s the distraction. The household item that was accompanying me EVERYWHERE. My cell phone. It was distracting me in a place that required my full attention. Have you ever forgotten to floss because you got a text in between brushing? It can’t only be me. Have you ever dropped or misplaced something because you were rewinding a YouTube video? There it is.
I experimented. I stopped taking my cell phone into the bathroom for a period of time. First, I was astonished by the things I noticed that were awry and out of place in my bathroom. A much needed reorganizing took place. Secondly, my time in the shower no longer felt rushed or hurried. I wasn’t listening out for a beep, a buzz, or a ping. I was more careful with myself (calm down, I’m talking about washing). I also listened to myself. I was at one with my thoughts, and able to process them fully without distraction. I felt less worried, less anxious, and less “on the go”. I was able to deter and prevent some anxiety that, believe it or not, can still be felt even if working from home.
The same applied for other areas and uses in the bathroom as well. I became more efficient. I saved and gained time, while also feeling and knowing that I accomplished more than I had set out for just by giving myself the distraction free time to think and process. Most importantly it changed the way I thought about things and approached my tasks for the day. Now I understand a bit more why parents will hide in the bathroom away from kids. You can get a lot done in there, without moving at all. Maintaining a job and a home is a lot of work, but so is maintaining yourself. We owe it to ourselves to give ourselves as much time as we need daily to truly feel and be at our best.
The first time isn’t the charm, as you tend to still have the same habits of listening for noises and thinking “now where did I put me phone?” after the first couple of days with no phone. But seriously, try it. Each individual tooth of mine couldn’t be happier, and my overall health has improved as well.
Carl Junior
