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Mental Health HomepageConditions LibraryConditions CategoryConditions CategoryWhy Do You Constantly Reach For Your Phone?
Table of Contents:OverviewChicken or the Egg: Does Anxiety and Depression Lead to Phone Use or Vice Versa?What You Can Do
Anxiety DisorderRead Time: 5 Minutes
Published On: June 6, 2018
Reviewed On: June 6, 2018
Updated On: August 20, 2024
Overview
Since constantly reaching for your phone is a common habit these days, how do you know if it’s just that — a bad habit? Could you be anxious or depressed, and using that habit as a crutch?
Rachel O’Neill, an Ohio-based licensed professional clinical counselor and Talkspacetherapistrecommends asking yourself these questions:
“In many cases, if you feel like you can’t be without your phone, that could be a sign that it is serving an escape-type function for you,” O’Neill says.
Chicken or the Egg: Does Anxiety and Depression Lead to Phone Use or Vice Versa?While those with anxiety and depression often use their phone as a quick fix, research also shows that spending too much time on your phone, and being constantly connected, cancause anxiety. What you’re anticipating and getting addicted to is not the actual rush of, say, the comment you just received on your latest Instagram, but rather the anticipation of it. Most of the time, actually reading that comment doesn’t live up to our expectations.“For those without a mental illness, it can be a learned behavior or positive reinforcement that gets them attached,” said Kimberly Leitch, a licensed clinical social worker in New York City and Talkspace therapist. “If you experience a negative situation and then use your phone as a distraction with a positive result, your phone use is now reinforced. Because of the positive outcome, you’ll repeat this behavior, get the same results, and then behavior will intensify leading to dependence or addiction.”
Chicken or the Egg: Does Anxiety and Depression Lead to Phone Use or Vice Versa?
While those with anxiety and depression often use their phone as a quick fix, research also shows that spending too much time on your phone, and being constantly connected, cancause anxiety. What you’re anticipating and getting addicted to is not the actual rush of, say, the comment you just received on your latest Instagram, but rather the anticipation of it. Most of the time, actually reading that comment doesn’t live up to our expectations.
“For those without a mental illness, it can be a learned behavior or positive reinforcement that gets them attached,” said Kimberly Leitch, a licensed clinical social worker in New York City and Talkspace therapist. “If you experience a negative situation and then use your phone as a distraction with a positive result, your phone use is now reinforced. Because of the positive outcome, you’ll repeat this behavior, get the same results, and then behavior will intensify leading to dependence or addiction.”
What You Can DoIt’s getting harder and harder to ignorethe connection between frequent cellphone use and mental health, so it’s worth weaning yourself off your habit. Phone-induced anxiety operates on a positive feedback loop — phones keep us in a persistent state of anxiety, and the only relief from this anxiety is to look at our phones. The way to break this cycle is simple: check your phone less. Easier said than done (breaking habitsisn’t easy!), but here are a few tips to get started:Put away all technology at mealtime.Read a book instead of mindless surfing.Use an alarm clock and turn off your phone when you sleep.Go on a walk and leave your cell behind.Let people know you’ll be unreachable during certain hours.According to Leitch, the best thing you can do is know your own intentions. “Be cognizant of the motivation behind your phone use,” she said. “If you’re using your phone as a coping mechanism or avoidance the put the phone down. Give yourself certain time slots or time limits when using your phone. Down time is a good way to develop healthy usage of your cell phone to avoid dependence.”One reason that our attempts to spend less time on our phones often fail is that we frame our efforts in the same way we do diets: as acts of self-deprivation. And since feeling deprived isn’t a positive emotion, it’s hard to want to change your behavior. Instead, think of the goal in more positive terms: when you aim to cut back on phone time, you’re trying to resolve discrepancies between how you say you want to live your life and how you’re actually living it. That said, it’s not an easy change, but the good news is you don’t have to do it alone. Consider talking to a therapist about why you reach for your phone and what small changes you can make to be less dependent on it.
What You Can Do
It’s getting harder and harder to ignorethe connection between frequent cellphone use and mental health, so it’s worth weaning yourself off your habit. Phone-induced anxiety operates on a positive feedback loop — phones keep us in a persistent state of anxiety, and the only relief from this anxiety is to look at our phones. The way to break this cycle is simple: check your phone less. Easier said than done (breaking habitsisn’t easy!), but here are a few tips to get started:
According to Leitch, the best thing you can do is know your own intentions. “Be cognizant of the motivation behind your phone use,” she said. “If you’re using your phone as a coping mechanism or avoidance the put the phone down. Give yourself certain time slots or time limits when using your phone. Down time is a good way to develop healthy usage of your cell phone to avoid dependence.”
One reason that our attempts to spend less time on our phones often fail is that we frame our efforts in the same way we do diets: as acts of self-deprivation. And since feeling deprived isn’t a positive emotion, it’s hard to want to change your behavior. Instead, think of the goal in more positive terms: when you aim to cut back on phone time, you’re trying to resolve discrepancies between how you say you want to live your life and how you’re actually living it. That said, it’s not an easy change, but the good news is you don’t have to do it alone. Consider talking to a therapist about why you reach for your phone and what small changes you can make to be less dependent on it.
Ladan Nikravan HayesLadan Nikravan Hayes is a Chicago-based writer and editor. She is published in publications such as USA Today, Chicago Sun-Times, Business Insider, and Gannett; and has worked with a number of brands, including Harley-Davidson, Wayfair, and Raleigh Bicycles, on their content marketing efforts.
Ladan Nikravan Hayes is a Chicago-based writer and editor. She is published in publications such as USA Today, Chicago Sun-Times, Business Insider, and Gannett; and has worked with a number of brands, including Harley-Davidson, Wayfair, and Raleigh Bicycles, on their content marketing efforts.
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