Let’s talk about ring-xiety.
That’s when you think your phone’s ringing or vibrating, even when it’s not. Well, would you believe that 89% of people experience that sensation?
Psychologist Michelle Drouin says it’s because we’ve become so accustomed to listening for our phones – and we place such significance on those texts, alerts and calls – that we’re hyper-alert, all the time. Like a mom listening for her newborn’s cry, there’s a part of our brain that’s always on-call, waiting for that sound from our phones. And we’re particularly likely to imagine those phantom dings and vibrations when we’re stressed or anticipating an important message.
So what can we do about it? Dr. Drouin says, for a few hours every day, move your phone out of reach and turn it off or to silent mode.