Reading a smartphone makes you dumb. Unless you follow these tips.

Don’t read on an iPhone if you want to remember it.

On the Hubermanlab podcast, a Stanford professor reviewed a high-quality study. Concluding that a narrower gaze on a small screen:

• affected breathing,

• lowered brain activity

• and made comprehension poor

looking at a phone screen also

• Increases stress

• Changes sleeping patterns

• causes neck pain with headaches

• destroys focus, mimicking attention deficit disorder

I use my phone every morning to read Twitter essays.

It wrecks my day

I read fantastic essays from the ship 30 for 30 cohort I’m a part of. Then continue to read when making a coffee, I even sneak a like or comment in when dressing the kids. I can’t remember half of what I read. I get anxious and feel unfocused unless I use a few tricks.

I want you to know these tricks too.

1. Learn how to sigh.

We breathe in twice and exhale about every 5 minutes.

You may think that you don’t… But you do! Unless you have a narrow gaze, the type of gaze from using a small screen. The first tip is every five minutes inhale twice and exhale once, look up and broaden your vision for a few seconds.

Congratulations, you’re now smarter.

2. Use a big screen and look up

Computer users are focussed because of the size of their screen.

It’s as simple as having a broader gaze. Computer users also harness the added benefit of looking up, which reduces:

• a lack of attention and stress

• shoulder, neck pain and headaches

• Fatigue because their eyes aren’t looking down (that’s another post)

The world needs intelligent people that are making a positive difference. Consider the way you’re using your phone so you can be one of them.

Read this post and more on my Typeshare Social Blog