Why Digital Overload Matters to Your Health and Wellbeing
In today’s world, technology is everywhere, which makes it difficult to avoid the constant ping of your Email. That’s without the WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok and all of the other social media platform notifications that trigger your responses. Not to mention the whole social media wormhole itself! This is why embarking on a digital detox is essential in helping us maintain good mental health. But back up a second, we’re not going all anti technology, and sugggesting we all ditch our smartphones, tablets and laptops. Putting this into context, a digital detox simply means cutting down on our screen time in order to give our mental health a much needed boost.
It’s widely accepted that too much screen time can cause us harm in a multitude of ways. It leads to eye strain, it can disrupt our sleep, and also increase our stress levels. Too much screen time also affects our mental health, which can lead to more serious problems like anxiety and depression.
By completing a digital detox, we can take a positive step toward improving our quality of life. It will help us to focus better, build stronger relationships, and enjoy more offline activities. Think of it as going analogue!
Relaxing Your Mind to Boost Your Mental Health
Without question, a digital detox can help you to greatly improve your mental health. It helps you to better manage and, consequently, reduce your stress and anxiety levels by reducing those distracting pings and dings. This allows your mind to relax, resulting in you feeling calmer. Once you’ve become accustomed to this new feeling, there will be less chance of you feeling the the need to rush to your phone every time you here that familiar ‘ping’.
Calming your mind and reducing screen time will also help you sleep better. Our phone and tablet screens can disrupt your sleep pattern, making it harder to get a good, refreshing night’s sleep. So, by contrast, if we reduce our screen time (especially of an evening), we will be able to sleep more soundly and wake up feeling fully refreshed.
Plus, it will lead you to being more productive, as without the distractions from your phone, you can focus better on what you need to do. This can improve both your work and personal life. A recent example (at the time of writing), I left home early to go to the office, and it wasn’t until I arrived that I realised I’d left my phone on the counter in the kitchen. With no distractions during the day, I managed to quickly get into a rhythm and pretty much clear my desk by the end of the day! Yes, I did feel the occasional pang of FOMO, (Fear Of Missing Out). But I was so in the zone, that these were only fleeting moments.
So, to recap where we’ve got so far, by completing a digital detox program, you can help to change your life for the better. You will boost your mental focus, develop a better sleep pattern, and increase your productivity. In essence, by managing your screen time, you will be better equipped to live a healthier, more balanced life.
Digital Overload. Recognising The Signs
It’s all too easy to ignore the warning signs of digital overload. The physical symptoms we’ve already covered, like eye strain (dry and/ or tired eyes), increased fatigue, and frequent headaches are all too common. Becoming more snappy and irritable is another sign.
It’s also important to be able to recognise the tell tale emotional signs. Feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from your surrpoundings are a couple of red flags you should pay attention to. These warning signs are letting you know that you need to disconnect a little more. In other words, these feelings are telling you that you need a break from technology. Pay attention, and take some time to be more analogue. Even if it’s just for an hour or so.
Once you start to recognise these signs, you’ll have taken the first (and arguably, the biggest) step toward taking back control. By acknowledging the impact of your screen time, you can start making changes. Taking some time to be a little more analogue can help you feel better both physically and emotionally.
Reducing Your Screen Time. A Pathway to Balance
First, start by understanding how much time you spend on electronic devices. Be honest with yourself here, and resist the urge to ‘guesstimate’. Use tools like Screen Time (iOS) or Digital Wellbeing (for the Android lovers out there) to track your phone/ tablet use. If you regularly split your time between devices (for example phone and tablet), combine the totals. The results will help you to see which apps you’re using the most.
Next, set some realistic goals like aiming to reduce your daily screen time by 30 minutes, or have a device free hour in the evening. By making some small changes, it will make then easier to stick to (but don’t go cold turkey on day one by leaving your phone at home!). As a result, you’ll find it far easier to build upon your successes. If you have a bad day, don’t beat yourself up about it. Look at what the triggers were, and see if you can find an alternative solution to reaching for your phone.
Creating a plan is key for a successful detox, but it must be both realistic and achieveable. Start by thinking of some alternative activities to replace your screen time, like reading, journaling or exercising. Pop these into your daily routine to make them habits. Also, set times for checking emails and social media (time blocking) to help you break the habit of that mindless scrolling.
Using apps to limit screen time can help too. Tools like Freedom block distracting apps and websites. This can help you stay focused on your goals. Some people even go as far as deleting some of their social media apps from their phones during the week, and reinstalling htem for the weekend. There is no right or wrong here, do whatever works for you.
By looking at how you use your devices, setting realistic goals, and having a plan, you can cut down on your screen time, which will lead to a healthier, more balanced life. Try not to overthink things in the beginning, the most important thing you can do is to take the first step and Just Get Started.
Tips for Mindful Technology Consumption
At work, rather than disappearing down the Google or Facebook wormhole (and let’s face it, we’ve all done it!) Try scheduled breaks, like the Pomodoro method. Work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break to stay focused. After three or four of these 30-minute blocks, take a longer break of 15 minutes. This will allow you to focus on your work without becoming distracted. Before you know it you’ll have flown through your task list without even thinking about social media distractions.
Setting app limits is also helpful. Most phones let you set daily time limits for apps. This stops you from spending too much time on screens.
Practising digital minimalism can also help. It means using tech only when it’s really needed and getting rid of things you don’t use. Start by deleting apps you don’t need and organising your apps into folders.
Before reaching for your phone, tablet or laptop, ask yourself if it’s really necessary. This small habit can stop you from scrolling aimlessly and make your tech use more purposeful.
By adopting these simple habits, you can achieve a much healthier relationship with technology. You’ll reduce your screen time, and improve your overall wellbeing. Remember, the best way to reach your goal, is to Just Get Sarted.
Finding Alternative Activities
This is a golden opportunity to go all 20th century and try new things ‘offline’. Reading can take you to new worlds and help you to relax and unwind. Crafting lets you be creative and feel accomplished. Gardening connects you with nature and is good exercise.
Outdoor activities are great too. Walking, cycling, running and low impact, accessible sports such as badminton or pickleball boost your health and mood. They also help to improve your focus and mental clarity and can act as a great stress buster.
Spending time with family and friends is incredily important. Doing things together, like playing board games or simply going for a walk in the countryside or by the beach, strengthens relationships. These moments create happy memories and can support you emotionally. Don’t be that couple at the table in a restaurant who are scrolling through their phones, instead of talking to each other!
Conclusion
Embarking on a digital detox doesn’t necessarily mean you need to ditch the tech (unless you really want to that is). But by reducing your screen time it is easy to improve your mental health, get a better night’s sleep, and increase yourproductivity.
Now is the perfect time to start your journey. By setting achieveable goals, you can take back your time and improve your tech habits, leading to a healthier, more mindful life.
Take the first step by assessing your current screen usage. Set some realistic limits, and explore some new hobbies or outdoor activities. Commit to spending quality time with family and friends, and embrace the positive impact these changes will bring to your health and wellbeing. Most importantly, remember the only way forward is to Just Get Started.