Sumayyah Emeh-Edu is a renowned speaker and an inclusive culture maven, who focuses on employee well-being through digital balance, team building and mental health benefits.
Sumayyah Emeh-Edu is a renowned speaker and an inclusive culture maven, who focuses on employee well-being through digital balance, team building and mental health benefits.
She is the Principal Strategist of Embedded Consulting, where she helps organizations develop better connection, inclusion and productivity through wellness and team building. She has over 20 years of professional experience, with senior leadership roles in Higher Ed, HR and DEI, most recently at Canopy Growth and Charles Schwab.
In this interview, Sumayyah shares her perspective on some of the most important digital wellness lessons that we all need to know (especially me!):
Scrolling on the phone (which most Americans do 4.5 hours+ each day) exposes our brains to a flood of micro/macro emotions in a rapid fire, extended way that is impossible to fully digest and causes a host of mental health concerns like anxiety, depression, loneliness, etc.
Digital Wellness is not just about detoxing from your phone. It's about finding a livable balance and achieving a relationship with technology that feels right for you.
There are simple tools that you can use to help limit your phone time. Humble brag: I turned on the screen time limit for Instagram after this interview, and I haven't gone over my limit since!
There is a 4-step formula to help overcome excessive phone use, or any habit that you are struggling with:
Identify the Trigger: The situation that initiates the undesired behavior (e.g., stress, boredom, a specific time of day).
Consider the Success Factor: A condition or mindset that makes it more likely you’ll successfully follow through on the desired behavior.
List the Replacement Activity: The healthier or more productive behavior you will choose to perform instead of the default or undesired one. This should serve a similar function as the original behavior (e.g., soothing stress, providing stimulation).
Set the Reward: A positive reinforcement that reinforces the new behavior—can be intrinsic (feeling proud, relaxed, energized) or external (a treat, praise, a break).
To find out more about Sumayyah, please visit her website.
By signing up for the Healthy Women Leaders mailing list you will receive inspirational resources, be the first to hear about events, and loosely commit to start prioritizing your own well-being as a critical measure to thriving in a crazy world.
Kalia Garrido founded HWL in 2017. She is a passionate inspirer of women leaders and champion for healthy living. She is a life-long fitness fan who strives to bring mindfulness into everyday life.
