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.

An 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.