Inside Yoga 98 (3/2/14)
Do you realise that the internet can take your breath away, but not in a healthy way? There is the expression ‘it only takes a minute’ to check something on the web, and as many of us know that minute can soon roll on into half hour, even hours, by which time we have discovered a lost tribe in Patagonia, watched clips of people falling over, and bought an item we didn’t know we wanted!
“The internet is not addictive in the same way as pharmacological substances are,” said Tom Stafford, a cognitive scientist at the University of Sheffield, UK. “But it’s compulsive; it’s compelling; it’s distracting.”
We are social creatures so it is no surprise the internet is so popular, with social media to connect with people, browsing capabilities which brings us so close to others (or so it would seem), but what we sometimes miss is that we always want more and do not know when to stop.
Rather like gambling on a slot machine, we keep putting more time into the activity without reward because every so often, rarely perhaps, we get what we want – we get a reward.
The internet offers a journey without borders and boundaries as we can roam far and wide, sometimes in no particular direction and without a goal. It is in some ways the ultimate journey without a goal, just some unwelcome consequences, such as bad breathing, tiredness, stress in some cases, and perhaps debts where this practice has led to parting with money (maybe not a lot in one go, but a little often).
Reading emails or hunching over a screen can also activate humans’ fight-or-flight response, said Linda Stone, a researcher who has studied the physiological effects of internet use.
Stone has shown that about 80 percent of people temporarily stop breathing or breathe shallowly when they check their email or look at a screen — a condition she calls email apnea.
The web often has important content that requires action or a response — for example, an email for work or wedding photos — so people anticipate this and hold their breath as they look at their screens. And many a time, it’s not important, but we keep opening new windows, searching for something (not very important, but that fact was forgotten long ago) – holding our breath as we go.
But breath-holding sets off a physiological cascade that prepares the body to face potential threats or anticipate surprises. Constantly activating this physical response can have negative health consequences, Stone said.
According to Stafford, studies suggest willpower is like a muscle: it can be strengthened, but can also become exhausted. Because the internet is always ‘on’, staying on task requires constantly flexing that willpower muscle, which can exhaust a person’s self-control. “You never get away from the temptation,” Stafford said. How many of us can relate to this experience?
So what can we do about this behaviour, besides throwing away our machines? In terms of meditation, there are a few steps towards making a change.
First is to become aware of our habits and to acknowledge them, in a similar way an alcoholic must first acknowledge their addiction. Though, for many of us, we might not think that this is so serious, yet we might realise that we do get caught up in the internet longer than we would want to. I am certainly in this category!
The next step is to resolve to make some changes, for example, the moment we realise that we have been on the internet long enough, and have been all over and back again with our browsing, that perhaps now is a good time to log off.
Additionally, we do something about improving our posture and breathing while at the computer, which is achieved by remembering not only to notice but to take action. It does not take long to sit up and take a few deep breaths, yet we forget, or worse, we decide “not now”. The simple answer to this pattern is: THERE IS NO TIME LIKE NOW!
It is all about self-awareness and taking action. So remember, stop and breathe, stretch and sit up straight, and take a screen break if you REALLY must stay online for a little longer!
Looking beyond our time on the internet, a regular yoga and meditation practice is the training ground for improving our will-power and breath control. By attending classes and maintaining a steady home practice we will develop our ability to breathe deeply and slowly, we improve our self-awareness and self-control, and all these skills are then employed in everyday situations like being online.
BEFORE you click to another page: breathe deeply and slowly right now!!!! Even better, do this a few times before leaving this page… it might help you!
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