When is the last time that you truly stopped and looked around you? Truly listened? Truly connected? Living mindfully has been shown to increase satisfaction in all areas of well-being, yet we all struggle to do it. Most of us have our eyes glued to our phones all the time. We rarely make eye contact, much less make a meaningful connection with those we love.

We know that for children to grow up and be healthy adults, a strong attachment to their caregivers is crucial. Yet their caregivers are staring at a screen. As are the kids. There is little to no connection.

When couples or individuals come to see me, they often complain about the quality of their relationships. A good start to investigate where the problem lies is to find out how much screen time everyone has. If everyone spends more time with their phone than with each other, we may have just discovered the problem.

Putting down the phone is not easy. It is an addiction. We are now used to being fed highly stimulating data almost constantly. The idea of sitting and watching nature, where the most exciting thing may be the play of light over the water, is definitely less stimulating. But it does soothe the soul.

So, everyone has a decision to make. Will you choose your relationships and your emotional well-being?

Or will you choose your screen?