Outsmart Your Smartphone: Tackling The Lonliness Epidemic with MJ Murray Vachon

In this episode of The Wellness Plus Podcast, host Chelsea
welcomes seasoned therapist, author, and podcast host MJ Murray
Vachon to discuss "The Lonliness Epidemic" and the intertwined
challenges of smartphone addiction. Drawing from her rich career,
MJ shares expert insights and actionable strategies to combat
loneliness, reconnect with yourself and others, and outsmart your
smartphone for better mental and physical health. 



We discuss the ongoing "Global Friendship Recession" and dive
deep into the following topics:


The Loneliness Epidemic: A Report from America's Surgeon General.


Outsmarting Your Smartphone: Tips to reclaim your time and
attention from addictive device usage.


The Science of Connection: How community impacts our well-being


Finding “Life-Giving” Activities:  Rediscovering joy by
identifying childhood hobbies that restore your energy and
happiness.


Creating a Culture of Connection: How to foster meaningful
relationships and engage with your community.


The Loneliness Spectrum: Exploring the differences between being
alone, feeling lonely, and experiencing chronic loneliness.


Children and Early Exposure to Pornography: The impact of
children accessing porn at a young age on their development and
relationships.


Rediscovering Joy in Solitude: How to embrace being alone as a
tool for personal growth and inner peace.


Parenting, Discipline, and Screen Time: Understanding how
parents’ own screen habits influence their children’s device use.


Breaking the Screen Cycle: Practical strategies for reducing
family screen time and creating healthier tech boundaries.


️ The Impact of Screens on Sleep: Why removing devices from the
bedroom is critical for mental and physical health.


Practical Steps: Start living a more connected, fulfilling life
in a digital age.



We hope this episode inspired you to reflect, connect, and take
actionable steps toward a healthier, more balanced life.
Remember, every small change you make today can lead to a more
fulfilling tomorrow. Stay curious, stay kind, and as always, stay
well. 



Guest Bio: MJ Murray Vachon is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker
with over 48,000 hours of therapy sessions and 31 years of
experience teaching mental wellness. She is the creator of Inner
Challenge, a mental wellness program, and the podcast Creating
Midlife Calm. Inner Challenge was incorporated into a junior high
curriculum for 20 years and served as a course for freshman
football players at the University of Notre Dame. Her podcast
Creating Midlife Calm was honored as the “Listen of the Week” by
Maria Shriver and The Sunday Paper on January 21, 2024. MJ has
delivered more than 800 workshops and co-authored the book The
Power and Pain of Nursing. She was also named Social Worker of
the Year for District 11 in Indiana. While MJ is deeply
passionate about her career, her family remains her greatest joy.
She is dedicated to her husband Dominic, her children and their
partners Nick, Madhura, Kit and Abby, and her grandson Neel.


If you would like to get in touch with MJ you can contact her
through the links below;


Website: https://mjmurrayvachon.com/


Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/vachonmjmurray/


Email: mj@mjmurrayvachon.com


MJ's Podcast: Ep. 91 Use These 2 Mindfulness Practices To
Instantly Increase Gratitude, Calm & Joy!


Link: https://tinyurl.com/zmy7cbf2


Find clips of the video podcast on our YouTube
Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@psychetruth


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