In today’s world, distractions are everywhere. It can be easy to remove yourself from a situation and be in your own little world when you pick up your phone. You could be having the best time with your family, friends, and significant other only to have tunnel vision with your phone after receiving a text message, phone call, or email.
When it comes to your relationship, there are a lot of different things that could get in the way of it. Let’s not make your phone one of those reasons. Phubbing is the relationship threat that you may be ignoring without even realizing it. Let’s learn more about it and how it may impact your relationship.
What is Phubbing?
Phubbing is a form of snubbing that happens when you ignore someone or aren’t giving them your full and undivided attention due to your phone. While this term may be new to you, phubbing is probably more common than you think. You’ve probably phubbed someone, or someone has phubbed you without even realizing it. The act of phubbing may not seem like a big deal, at least not at first. Phubbing done on a repetitive basis can start to harm your own mental health and the relationships you hold in your life.
What Phubbing Looks Like
You may feel like you give your family, friends, and coworkers your full and undivided attention, but there’s a good chance that you’ve phubbed them before without even meaning to. In today’s world, people carry their phones everywhere. It’s almost as if a phone is an extension of oneself. It’s like a new body part for a lot of people. Where they go, so does their phone. Here are some of the most common signs of being a phubber:
You try to have two conversations simultaneously – one on your phone and one in person.
You bring your phone out even when you’re involved in social situations.
You can’t sit through an activity, meal, or meeting without checking your phone.
You fear missing out (FOMO) when you don’t have your phone.
The Impact of Phubbing
Phubbing can harm the relationships you have. When you phub someone, even if you don’t mean to, you show that they’re not worth or don’t deserve your full attention. The action affects your ability to fully present and engage with the people in your life. Being on your phone while in a conversation with someone is considered rude, and it makes your interactions with those individuals a lot less satisfying and impactful for you and the person you’re trying to converse with. Phubbing can impact the relationships you have in your life, but it can also harm your own mental health and wellness, which, in turn, can lead to worsening struggles in other areas of your life.
How to Stop Phubbing
Even though phubbing is a lot more common in today’s world than it may have been in the past, it doesn’t mean that it should be a new normal. These are a few of the different ways that you can stop phubbing:
Ask to be called out
Call out someone who is phubbing you
Challenge yourself to ignore your notifications
Leave your phone at home
Make no-phone zones like when you’re eating meals together
Phone checks can be a sign of impulsivity issues. This can require the help of a licensed and trained mental health professional. If you feel like your phubbing has gotten worse over time or you haven’t been able to control your phone checks, it may be time to reach out for additional support.
Don’t delay in getting the help you and your relationships need and deserve. Reach out today to set up a consultation to learn how you can improve your connection with other people.
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