A Screen-time Solution
That sickening feeling when you have been in front of a screen all day.
I have long noticed a building ill feeling that I get when I have spent too many hours in front of a computer screen. I have sort of understood it as something to do with light, maybe bad eyes, or just general inactivity. Probably all very true. I was treated to another theory the other day.
Those equestrian folks out there will know that a horse does not do very well on its own. A horse is a herd animal and ideally wants another 2 horses with it. Apparently, a goat is a reasonable substitute even. Although well equipped with hooves and speed, horses are still prey animals and always need to be keeping an eye out for trouble. A solitary horse basically does not sleep. It is trying to do the herds job of looking out for anything that might eat it all on its own. It is trying to do this for 24 hours a day. It gets very unwell very rapidly in some cases.
Our human ancestors didn’t have hooves or speed to keep themselves safe like a horse, and certainly we relied on one another. We don’t have thick fur, wool or a leathery hide, nor claws and fangs to protect ourselves. We were, and still basically are naked, slow, and very weak when compared to other creatures our size. So how does this apply to screen time?
The theory is that we are hardwired to be on the look-out for predators – (no doubt for food and mating opportunities too!) and so when we are spending hours staring at a flat surface a few centimeters from our faces, our brains don’t like it so much. We get irritated when we have not had the opportunity to be looking up, looking out, and satisfying a ‘staying safe’ check.
It amazes me that we might have an inbuilt alarm that warns us when we have been sitting still and ignoring our surroundings for too long. It is frightening to think that not too long ago, and certainly for the majority of human history, we lived or died by the element of surprise. Watchfulness was a requirement not an option.
Many of us in real estate work with a fair amount of flexibility and so we can get away from our screens and take a walk to break up our day and get out of the office to find some kind of open view. Certainly, this is a good reminder that spending the day in a cubicle looking at a screen is less than ideal, and just another reminder to put some breaks and activity in throughout the day.
If you want a crash course on WWII Cretan Resistance intersecting with Kiwi sharp-shooting, Low Carb Eating, and more evolutionary predispositions, check out Natural Born Heroes by Christopher McDougall.
Have a great week, and remember to take the time to scan the horizon every now and again.
