Digital Wellness: How to Use Technology Mindfully and Boost Your Mental Health
May is Mental Health Awareness Month! I'm so glad our society is making an effort to normalize the health of our mind! So, just to clarify, when I say Mental Health- I'm going to use the definition from the Center of Disease Control "Mental Health is our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices."
So, let's talk about Digital Wellness and how it affects our mental health! Wellness, defined by the Webster's dictionary is the "the state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal." Basically it's being able to interact with the digital world in a healthy way- JUST like we work on our interpersonal skills to interact with people in the physical world!
The digital world has improved:
Connection- it's easier to stay in touch with business connections, friends and family! My girls love being able to send texts to their grandparents- which beats when my mom made me call my grandma...
Remote Working- remote work is more popular than ever! Being able to be home when my kids are sick AND having lived in the Northern regions for most of my life, being able to work from home instead of driving in a snowstorm is definitely a benefit!
Learning Opportunities- online courses were just barely starting when I was in college, now you can attend college completely online without ever meeting your teacher or classmates in person! You can find courses on any topic you want, listen to podcasts & audio books and the digital world has made it easier for people with disabilities!
Lots of good stuff! The digital world is amazing! But just like chocolate cake, stress, and alcohol- everything needs to be within moderation!
So, on the flip side, The Negative Impact of the digital world on Mental Health is something we must be aware of!
Technology is everywhere, from smartphones to smart homes, and it's taking a toll on our mental health when we don't use it within moderation!
The access technology provides can make us feel like:
- everyone else has their life together,
- there may be missed opportunities if you're not on it
-the constant connectivity can leave us feeling stressed and burnt out.
And it's hard to resist the temptation of binge-watching your favorite show, scrolling through the Instagram feed, online shopping, and whatever else strikes your fancy on technology, but by doing this, it:
-distracts us from getting the amount of sleep we need
-learning new hobbies
- it allows us to escape reality when we need to be working through the hard stuff
-and it is making us out of shape because instead of going to the gym, or taking a walk, we're sitting!
What is also interesting is to look at your phone and see how many hours a day you're looking at it....because think about this...when you're looking at your phone, even if you're texting a friend or being productive...you're not being mindful and enjoying the present moment with where you are at physically...which is the whole point of mindfulness- being present in your body and being aware of your thoughts.
So, what I found shocking was that if you multiply that screen time number-which is the amount of hours you're on your phone, by 365- that is how many hours of your life in a year, you're looking at a screen. So if you're on your screen for 4 hours a day, that is 1,460 hours a year!
Not to be too dramatic, but according to statistics, the average american adult spends approximately 7 hours in front of a screen a day! You get to decide what this means to you.
If you're wanting to do math with your own number- check out below
Math:
(your hrs on screen) X 365 (days)= Hrs I'm on my screen per year
(hrs I'm on my screen per year) x (how many years until your 80)= Hrs of screen time over that amount of years
(hrs of screen time over that amount of years)/24hrs in a day= How many days of screen time total between now and being 80
(how many days of screen time total between now and being 80)/365 days in a year= How many years you’re on your screen by the time you’re age 80
The good news is that we can use technology in a more mindful and moderate way!! So we can get the benefits and limit the downside.
There are plenty of digital wellness practices out there that can help us use technology more mindfully.
I've come up with FOUR edits to help moderate your digital world:
Set Screen Time Limits- go into your phone and set a timer for the apps you find you have a hard time moderating your use of. For example, I have a one hour timer set for IG, FB, and Hulu. I also set a timer for my email on Saturdays and Sundays so that I can only check it for a total of 5 minutes per day.
Create a Phone Home- decide on a place you keep your phone when you are not using it. I have a basket in my bathroom with a charger that I put it at night. Although I still end up misplacing my phone at times, it has allowed me to put it in a consistent place I'll remember and keep it charged! Also, this is a great check in to evaluate how you feel about being away from your phone.
Do a Digital Detox- disconnect from ALL technology for a set amount of time! I like to put my phone in its home in the evening, so I hangout with my family and play games and catch up on the day without distraction!
Turn on "Do Not Disturb:- when you set the do not disturb on your phone, it will reduce distractions from incoming calls and notifications AND the night feature will improve sleep because you can have it limit what apps you have access to during certain times, so you won't be able to mindlessly scroll AND finally get that sleep you keep saying you need!
It's important to make sure we're using technology in a way that supports our mental health and wellbeing! This doesn't have to be complicated - it can be as simple as setting aside some tech-free time each day, or limiting our social media use to a certain number of minutes per day. By making small edits and setting realistic goals, we can stay on track and make sure we're using technology in a way that serves and benefits us!!
It's clear that technology is here to stay, but that doesn't mean we have to let it control us. In fact, by setting healthy boundaries with technology, we can actually support our mental health and wellbeing!!
When we Use Technology Mindfully it Boosts our Mental Health by:
reducing anxiety and depression
improving sleep
increasing focus and productivity
improving emotional regulation
enhancing self-esteem
reducing eye-strain and headaches
increasing creativity
The next time you catch yourself mindlessly scrolling through social media or staring at a screen for hours on end, remember that there are ways to use technology more mindfully AND the benefits of moderation outweigh the downside.
So, consider taking breaks, doing a digital detox, setting time limits, or putting your phone on "Do not disturb", to help reduce the temptation to constantly check your phone.
By moderating your digital world, you may find that you have more time and energy to focus on the things that truly matter to you AND you may even discover new activities or hobbies that bring you a lot of joy!
So let's embrace technology in a way that enhances our lives, rather than detracts from it. With a little mindfulness and intention, we can create a healthy balance between our digital and offline worlds.