Interview with digital wellbeing advocate Alexa Eden

Meet Alexa Eden, an Urban Wellness Consultant, Coach and Speaker. She’s also a spiritual futurist and digital wellbeing advocate designing strategies to optimize the future of humanity.

Q1: What is an urban wellness consultant? When and why did you decide to choose this path?

I became an Urban Wellness consultant in 2017, after leaving a full time position at a fitness club. My years in the fitness industry exposed the deep desire for New Yorkers to find balance in their life. Each person I spoke with wanted to be on the cutting edge of city living, achieve success in their career, work hard, play late, eat and drink well, travel...and yet, they were endlessly seeking balance. 

But one thing I saw that no one was talking about, was the unseen impact of city living. The pace, the culture, the noise pollution, densely populated living environments, not to mention an intensely integrated technology lifestyle, each having its own impact on their performance and their wellbeing. 

Ultimately, I established an Urban Wellness practice to support modern minds in the face of an ever changing, rapidly evolving technological landscape. I believe that the moment we put down our phones, limit the distractions, look inward, and get curious, we can regain our peace, and our power. 

Q2: Could you give us any examples of conscious consumption practices and how they can benefit others?

Being a conscious consumer doesn't just address the food we eat, or the products we buy. It's what we are listening to, reading, learning, speaking about, and entertaining ourselves with. Far too many of us overlook the "lifestyle nutrition" that fuels our day. 

Our relationship with technology is a perfect example. 

It's not food, or a drink, or a vitamin, but it is feeding us. It's up to us to choose what we want to consume. And although we have plenty of free will, it's important to remember that most of what comes on our screen is algorithmically programmed to tempt and taint us.

Instead, here are some ideas on how you can #strikeabalance when it comes to using technology in a conscious way. 

• Unfollow accounts on your social media pages that do not fully light you up, inspire you, or make you a better person. 

• Begin to follow the hashtags that interest you, and that keep you in a positive mindset. These posts will come up more often, and will support you throughout the day. 

• Turn off your phone at least once a day. Let it rest, and give yourself a designated break. 

• Leave your phone on Do Not Disturb while you are sleeping, so you do not wake up to a screen full of notifications.

• Create designated times to be presently unplugged. Enjoy meals with loved ones without the distraction of your phone, social media, and other notifications. 

• By creating these conscious consumptions habits, we create the space to connect more deeply with ourselves, and ultimately with those around us. When we can confidently connect inward, without the heaviness of technology and social media, we can create more meaningful connections with our loved ones and neighbors.  

Q3: Did you struggle to unplug yourself? How do you spend your time offline?

Absolutely. Especially as a business owner, where so much of my work is online. Learning when to say no, and truly distance myself from my screens has been an ongoing practice for years. For me, practicing being mindful with technology has been a multidimensional process; it can be addressed at the surface level, or with depth. Because technology is so integrated into our lives, and for me, my business, it was important that I assessed when, and why I was using technology in my life. 

Setting boundaries, and becoming curious around my habits, helped me feel more in power. When I am not online, I am often spending time in nature, walking, making healthy food/snacks, enjoying a workout, spending time with family and loved ones, or reading a book. 

All of these things sound pretty basic, but in reality, when I am truly present in all of those activities, I find that I am more alive, charged up, and excited about life. Once the scale tips, and I am spending more time on my screen then off, I feel the intensity, and I know that's the moment when I need to recalibrate. 

Q4: What advice would you give people who'd like to spend more time offline?

Start small, set goals, be compassionate to yourself, and know WHY you want to spend more time offline. We each have our own life to live. So adjusting to a lifestyle with less screen time will look differently for everyone. Even the smallest subtraction of technology in your life can make the world of difference. 

Q5: What is your opinion on feature phones? Do you use one? Would you use one?

I love the idea, and find myself pulled to using a feature phone, although I have never had one. At least not since I was in 5th grade. I believe that having a feature phone will nurture deeper relationships, and connection with loved ones, without the distraction of social media sites, or other live applications. 

Although I have integrated my smartphone into my life, I could see switching over to a feature phone for most of my day, and relying on my smartphone for specific usage and tasks. I believe it would encourage me to make more phone calls, and not just text. 

Q6: Where is your favourite place to switch off?

My immediate response is outdoors in the mountains, hiking and listening to the natural environment around me. But with second thought, I recognize that being with my family, anywhere is where I truly enjoy switching off. Playing games, laughing, enjoying. Being surrounded by those I love, makes switching off easy, practical, and achievable. 

Q7: Is there anything else you'd like to add, any links you'd like to share with us?

I am truly passionate about Urban Wellness, not only because it will make people happier, but because we need it as a collective society to evolve towards a brighter future.

Technology is not going anywhere, it will become more and more integrated into our lives, and until we choose to take back our power, we will be at the whim of the algorithmic designs. 

Instead, I believe in the future of humanity. The more we know who we are, the better off we can be in serving our planet. Let's stay connected, @alexa.eden or via www.alexaeden.com.

Thank you Alexa! 

We’re so thankful that Alexa agreed to share her expert advice on urban wellness and balance with us and we hope you found it as inspiring as we did. If you’re interested in sharing your experiences with us or writing a guest post for us, send us an email via hello@mudita.com! 

Please feel free to get in touch via social media (send us some photos or videos too), you can find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, let’s connect! To learn more about Mudita, take a look at our website and our other posts. If you enjoyed reading this interview, please share and recommend it! We need to be online to find people who’d like to spend more time offline.