Screens Down, Rest Up

(gentle music) Headspace studios. (whispering) Hey there and welcome back. My name is Dora and I'm a meditation teacher here at Headspace. Let's take a moment to just reflect on the past week. Lately, something I've noticed is how fast the week can fly by. It's Monday and then suddenly it's Friday, but sometimes the week can go by at a glacial pace. I've noticed that what makes a difference for me is how much I use my phone. More screen time means less presence in my real life. We're all different. We all have different jobs and responsibilities and different desires for how we engage with technology, but it will be extremely helpful if you can establish a healthy relationship with your devices. You own your phone, your phone does not own you. Say it with me. You own your phone, your phone does not own you. You get to choose how, how often, and when you engage with it. Sunday, the beginning of a week, is a perfect time to start reassessing what habits surrounding your phone work for you. So start by asking yourself if there's any practical changes that you can make when it comes to your phone. Maybe that looks like turning off your notifications or having your phone on silent more often. And it might look like clearing away the home screen. Personally, I have a set time in the morning and before bed where I don't use my phone and can focus on my routines and rituals as I start and end my day. I find that it gives me so much clarity in my life and I encourage you to give it a try. But whatever you do, make sure that you set up your devices so that it works for you. And then after that, commit, just commit, even if it's only for a day. Remember the motto, you own your phone, your phone does not own you. You own your phone, your phone does not own you. So just take a moment here to get comfortable, leaving the eyes open. And when you're ready, just taking a big, deep breath. Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. And as you breathe out, if you'd like, just gently closing the eyes, feeling the muscles and the body soften. Allowing the body to sink down and noticing how that feels to be undistracted. Notice how that feels not to be engaged with anything or anyone if only for a few moments. Be clear in your mind about what it is you want to change, what your intention is for engaging with your phone over the next few days. If it helps, you can just stay with the movements of the breath, just for another few seconds. Being clear in your mind, clear in your intention, knowing that ultimately, you get to choose how you interact with your phone. And then just bringing the intention back to the body, back...