W.I.N. Wednesday: Head up. Phone down. Eyes up.

I get that people like to listen to music and podcasts while they are outside walking and running, but is it worth compromising your personal safety for?

I understand that people are being encouraged to walk during phone calls to increase their daily activity levels, but is it worth compromising your personal safety for?

I don’t understand walking outside, through an airport or anywhere else while looking down at your phone scrolling, texting, and e-mailing. If it is really that important, then stop and step off to the side in a safe area where you will not impede anyone else, deal with the text, then put your phone away.

When you have earbuds in or headphones on it limits, and possibly eliminates, your ability to hear people, bikes or cars approaching you from the side or behind. I have passed people from behind on pathways and they had no idea I was there until I was right beside, or slightly in front of them. While I had no ill intent and was simply passing them, that is not the case with everyone.

If your head is down and focused on your phone you have very little to no awareness of who is approaching, what is going on around you and any potential hazards in your path. Attention is a limited commodity, and you need to get your head and eyes up and free up your hearing. Doing so will increase your awareness of your environment. If you are outside walking it will also increase your enjoyment of the surroundings.

I had to shake my head the other day when I saw someone post a video on LinkedIn on how to avoid being the victim of a street robbery. They were making the video while walking down a sidewalk with their earbuds in and the phone out front of them. Their attention was on the phone in front of them to make sure they stayed in frame during the video. It would seem to me that if you want to avoid being a victim of a street robbery you would put your phone away, take your earbuds out, get your eyes up, and pay attention to where you are going and who is around in the environment.

Criminals are looking for certain traits in their potential victims. Being distracted and demonstrating a lack of awareness of their environments are two of those traits.

If you want to listen to music or podcasts while getting in your steps for the day or getting in your daily run or bike ride, then do it on a treadmill or stationary bike where you are not jeopardizing your personal safety to improve your health. If you like to get outdoors, which is a great addition to physical activity, then leave your phone at home and enjoy the many benefits of being physically active outdoors.

What’s Important Now? Head up. Phone down. Buds out.

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com. 

ONE QUESTION BRINGING FOCUS AND CLARITY IN THE CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY OF TODAY'S WORLD.

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