Wellness Wednesday

What is health?  It is more than just a lack of physical disease or limitations.  According to this article, the most famous modern definition of health comes from the Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization:

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Lifestyle choices can affect your social and mental health, not just your physical well-being.  This short film highlights the health consequences of the overuse of technology:

 

Do you know why the Amish reject most technology.  It's not because they feel there is something wrong or evil about it - they do use some technology.  But what they do is limit technology because it interferes with and damages community.  For example, when Amish people have a phone, they install it in a common area and use it for emergencies or to relay important information.  Their use of technology benefits the community instead of isolating individuals.

In contrast, mainstream America continues to retreat from community.  We take solo trips in our cars, watch television in separate rooms, and retreat to our corners with personal computers or tablets. With smart phones, we can engage in just about any type of entertainment, no matter where we are or who we're with.  We can be plugged in 24/7 - while we eat, bathe, commute, vacation, and work - reading books and magazines, listening to music or audio books, communicating long-distance via email, texts, and social media.  And we can live out our lives, rarely communicating with another human being.

With increased use of smartphones and other devices, we retreat into our own worlds, damaging our mental health and our social well-being.  Notice how the woman without the phone desperately wants to engage in something tangible, to actually share the moment in a real way?  She reminds me of the sober person in a room full of drunks.  

As a society, we need to unplug a little bit.  It's the healthy thing to do.