Are you well connected?

What jumps to mind when you consider this question?

I’m guessing it’s your people network – probably your work related one…

Being well connected has become synonymous with who we know – our direct links to people, organisations and businesses that can help us achieve something.

“The present is a present, so treat it that way” ~ Ari Gunzburg

I’m what some might call an ‘overthinker’.

It seems I’m not alone in this. In fact, far from it.

The more I listen, the more I hear people openly talking about their struggle with overthinking, often accompanied by bouts of anxiety and depression.

A recent example is Fearne Cotton’s conversation with Frankie Bridge in her podcast “Happy Place” (I know a lot of people enjoy this).

Do you reach for your phone at the merest opportunity?

Walk into a lift – phone. In a queue – phone. In a traffic jam – ahem.

And, when you reach for your phone, what’s your motivation?

For me, the honest answer’s typically “because it’s there”.

Have you ever tried leaving your phone untouched, unless you actually get a call or a message? It’s painful, right? The allure is so strong.

How about deliberately leaving your phone at home when you go out for a walk? Unthinkable.

Our phone has become our shield from the physical world – our pacifier, our safety net, and our way of avoiding boredom, introspection, or simply other people. Also a way to get that all-too-tempting dopamine hit – the ‘reward’ of just checking.