(Foreword: This is the continuation of our reply to Sweetie Amie who wants to keep herself away from social media distractions.)
Dear Sweetie Amie,
In my last column, I suggested to you that you make your studies your priority and this means that you have to set aside your Facebook and other game applications you have downloaded on your smart phone. But that does not mean you have to take down your Facebook account or stop playing games. As a matter of fact, you can use them to refresh your mind after studying. The trick is just to set your limits. If you want to have a five-minute break then you need to make sure that you’re only going to have it for five minutes. You need to keep track of the time and never allow the activity to drag on to 50 minutes or more. Remember that there is nobody else you are cheating but only yourself. You are accountable to your own actions.
2. Set your limits with technology.
Yes, as I have mentioned above, set your limits. Limit is limit. There should be expiration and if that expiration comes, you have to stop using Facebook and games, whether you like it or not.
3. Give more attention to whatever you are doing.
For instance, if you decided to study or do your term paper or thesis from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, decide to pursue and do only that and nothing else. In that way, you can give what you are doing the highest quality of work. Then, you can have your break from 12 noon - 1 p.m. Give yourself about 15-30 minutes to eat and do some toilet break and then, you can get to Facebook or play some games for about 15-30 minutes - and that’s it! Then, you get back to work.
You can also ask yourself what is really important to you that you have to give your undivided attention to. In other words, what is really important to your life now? Do you want to be updated with your friends’ status in Facebook or you wanted to be a champ in those computer games?
Or do you want to finish your studies? You have to decide and you can start from there.
As much as there are still a lot of things to talk to and you still have a lot of issues to deal with, but, since, we don’t have a lot of space for now, so, let me then, continues this in my next issue. Until then!
Dr. Fritz
*****
Dr. Fritz Legarde Espedilla is an aesthetic dermatologist and surgeon and a clinical sexologist. She is also trained in hypnotherapy and Medical Acupuncture. She has been in the broadcast media for more than a decade and has written a book based on her 15 year stint with her radio program, “Healthy is Sexy Secrets ni Dr. Fritz.” She is also a faculty in a College of Pharmacy. For your questions, you may send them to Dear Dr. Fritz, c/o VoxPop-Davao Publishing Inc., Ebro-Pelayo Building, Jacinto St., Davao City, (former Department of Foreign Affairs office), across Ateneo de Davao University and beside Holy Child School of Davao, or you e-mail them to dokfritz@yahoo.com. If you don’t wish your letter to be published, we regret that we cannot answer them. Thank you for your understanding.
