It’s December. Finally! We all deserve a pat on our backs for making it through 2020. The end of the year is usually a time for celebrations, vacation, and being around our loved ones. However, thanks (but no thanks) to the pandemic, holidays are going to be different this year. However, a quiet holiday has its own benefits. One of them is that it gives us ample opportunity to relax and decompress.
When we talk about relaxing and having a quiet time, disconnecting from the digital world is one of the first things one should do. Technology has brought humans limitless opportunities and shaped the world in ways we could never have imagined, however, it also has its share of disadvantages like distractions and side effects to our physical and mental health that come from being constantly plugged into our devices. No matter how much we say that we need to disconnect from the digital world for a while is it possible to ignore tech completely? That’s why, it’s important to look for simpler ways to do a digital detox that is practical and doable and what better time can it be than the holiday season?
Here a few of our suggestions.
Select, delete or uninstall: Let’s be honest, the first thing most of us reach out for when we wake up in the morning is our mobile phones either to check our emails or social media feed. The constant notifications from news apps every time there’s a breaking news (which is more frequent these days than ever) can be quite distracting and annoying as well. A solution to reduce your screen time significantly is to uninstall these apps on your phone. Use them on your desktop instead if you need to.
Unfollow, delete or block: Social media impacts our mental health in many ways. Heavily curated content by friends, celebrities and others can damage peace of mind in the long run. It’s important to be mindful about who and what we follow. Spend some time to clean your list and only follow or connect with people or things that leave a positive impact in your life.
It’s not just about deleting and uninstalling: From the two aforementioned points you might think we are recommending you give up tech when it comes to digital detoxification. It’s about making the right choices and using technology to help you in your wellness. Start by downloading some useful apps that contribute to your mental and physical wellbeing. A few apps that we can recommend are Mindbody: offers a range of fitness classes and beauty appointments, 10% Happier: features world-renowned meditation teachers and Headspace: a popular app that focusses on mindfulness and meditation for stress, anxiety, sleep, focus, and more.
Have tech free day or hours: While it’s great to stay connected and informed with digital devices, it’s important to disconnect from time to time and live our real lives. Start by switching off or keeping your devices away – like while eating your meals, while you are resting or spending time with your loved ones. See how you feel and extend your tech-free time accordingly. Another good habit is to switch off many notifications as you can in case keeping your mobile devices away is not a possibility.
Old school is cool too: The pure joy of paper is unparalleled. Be it flipping through the pages while reading a book or writing your thoughts down in a diary, opt for retro ways of consuming information. You not only will protect your eyes from electronic devices but also your body from the harmful radiations.
We hope our suggestions give you a starting point in case you have been thinking of doing a digital detox. These are just a drop in the ocean of several other ways of digital wellbeing but even if we try and implement some of these habits in our daily lives, we’ll be on our path to having a balanced virtual and real life. Check out our suggestions on wellness and wellbeing here.
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