Take The Heads-Up Challenge

Here’s the data …

On average people spend 10 hours and 39 minutes each day staring at smartphones, computers, video games, radios, tablets, and TVs.

On Average!!

Research data links this level of screen time with an increased risk for obesity, sleep problems, chronic neck pain, as well as depression and anxiety. So if you feel like you just don’t have enough of all that in your life, google it, post it, tweet it, take a selfie of yourself chatting about the app you found on your reddit thread about it, and on and on and on.

You get the picture. And this is why we want to encourage a Heads-Up Challenge for March!

It works like this. Be intentional about getting your head out of the screen and looking around you for a couple of hours each day — even if it is only 15 minutes at a time. When you do this, the goal is to have no agenda list of to-do items other than to quiet your mind for a while and notice the things around you. If you can do this and look at nature of some form, it’s all the better.

And during your Heads-Up time, don’t forget to add other senses. When you can and when it makes sense, listen to hear what is around you. Just notice, and suspend judgement about it for a moment. When you can and when it makes sense, take the time to smell the outside or the food or the newly cut grass or fresh fallen rain. Do this without agenda. Just notice, and suspend judgement about it for a moment.

Another use of your Heads Up time could be to take this time to speak to a friend for co-worker. Interpresonal contact is a key to a healthy mental state and increased resilience.

Take this time to view nature. This is even more beneficial for your mental state if you do so while walking outside. So, Heads-Up! Get your head out of the screen and into the world! Doing this is shown to decrease neck and back pain, increase positive emotions and decrease negative ones.

That’s part 1 of your challenge for this month.

Part 2 is to write back and say what your saw and felt. What kind of difference did this make for you? This is important to the challenge because your words are powerful and can encourage others to have their own heads-up moment. Giving back is another important aspect of resilience and mental health because when you do, you become the spark that feeds the flame and the voice of positive change for yourself and those around you.

I’m so looking forward to your thoughts on this, and please feel free to share this Heads-Up Challenge with your co-workers!