Digital wellbeing is now very much a concern as we spend on average between 5 and 6 hours a day (not including work-related activities) on our smartphone, according to a study done in the UK in 2021.
We use our smartphones because everything has become digital. From your health data to your banking, from your relationships with others to entertainment, from social media to the news, from travelling to shopping online, everything you want to know or do is now accessible from your phone.
So how can we cultivate a healthy relationship with all of our screens?
Why Is It So Bad Anyway?
About 88% of the population are using smartphones, this is a modern evolution of society. However a lot of us are saying we use them too much, while not doing anything about it.
The fact that we can access information from literally anywhere there is an internet connection, is creating a sense a busyness that we constantly live by. Every time we think of something we need to remember or do later, we pick up the smartphone instantly and do it. The moment we hear or see a notification, we jump on the screen to react.
It can be bad for our attention span because if we’re not entertained straight away, we switch to something else or scroll down. It means we don’t stop to appreciate, or think, or reflect and ponder. We have to have the answer, feel the pleasure, experience the accomplishment, now.
Being on our smartphone and having access to all this information, we are also feeding the comparison system. We know what everyone is doing instantly. And even though we might have something great going on, we instinctually are going to compare ourselves because we don’t have the car, or haven’t bought a house yet, or can I go on holiday too?
Additionally, our brains are not designed to know about all the disasters, the wars in the world. It can bring about a sense of helplessness, negativity, the idea that nothing will ever be right. We have to re-train our brains to think happy thoughts and positive feelings. It’s all about neuro-plasticity, and for more on this topic I invite you to check Mo Gawdat’s work*.
And finally (for the topics I want to mention, because I’m sure there are plenty more), physically our body is suffering from too much screen exposure. Our posture is altered when we stare at a screen in our hand, our neck is suffering, we might slouch on the sofa as we watch a film or series. The blue light the screens emit is also bad for our skin health and can speed up ageing. And on top of that, the artificial light can also mess up our circadian rhythms which are paramount for healthy sleep patterns and hormonal balance.
How Can We Be More Mindful About Our Own Digital Wellbeing?
First, I think it’s important to acknowledge that our screens can sometimes take over our life. We need to realise which patterns we unconsciously create to be able to do something about it.
For me, I realised that when I was working, if I was bored or waiting for colleagues to do something, I’d pick up my smartphone with the goal of being entertained, even if for a few seconds.
Sometimes it still is just because I think of something I need to do, like buy oats or text my mum. So again, I pick up the phone but this time, I can forget about it because something else “needs” my attention. And I do something completely different than my intended task, only to remember mid-day that I was supposed to do something but still haven’t done it.
This constant entertainment is such an easy and enjoyable distraction, but more often than not, we fail to do something about it. Because it’s easier than to think.
Think about it for a second. We want to be entertained because it’s easier than to think. Or because we don’t want to face our inner dialogue.
So now, how do we realise how much time we actually spend on your phone?
Many phone brands now have a function in the settings where they track the phone use, the screen time. It’s always difficult to take in how much time we spend on your phone. Especially if we know that it wasn’t to learn a new language or have meaningful encounters with people we love.
Identify when you are reaching for your phone. If it is because you have nothing to do or just enjoy checking social media while commuting, or if rather it is during work, or when you have conversations with other people. Are you fully present when you need to engage?
What are the patterns? Can you link them with an underlying issue? You can write things down to observe and then draw conclusions. My issue was that my work was boring me to death and I needed to think about something else. Or that I needed acknowledgment when I had posted something on social media. I still struggle with that, but tips are coming in the next paragraph so keep reading if you feel the same.
What Do I Do Now?
If you are ready to improve your own digital wellbeing, here are my top tips:
- Biggest game changer, keep your phone away from you while you’re working, or reading, or watching TV. Leave it in your bag, or in the bedroom, or better even, with someone else. Like this you won’t be tempted to open up apps and check something that can wait. If it can’t wait, you’ll get up to check. Simple, yet super efficient.
- Turn off notifications, or delete the app to use the web version. Notifications are constant reminders that something happened and we need to check it. Or do we? And the day I deleted my Facebook app, I stopped checking it, and it felt so much better. I now use the web version and that’s enough for me. Find what works for you.
- Schedule your TV time and know in advance what you’re going to watch, instead of zapping endlessly until you settle on something you wouldn’t have watched otherwise. We sometimes watch the least boring program when we don’t find anything that excites us. How lazy are we? I’ve been there, trust me, and I didn’t like it.
- Don’t scroll while you eat. As often as possible, eat away from your desk. When eating out or in a public place, when you’re alone and lots of people are around you, you don’t always want to look like you have nothing to do and no friends, I get you. But we tend to inhale our food if we’re not mindful when we eat. It leads to worse digestion, potential stress if what you’re reading or watching is unpleasant or negative (like the news, or work emails). Stress while eating will make your body store fat because it’s storing the fat to help you run in case of danger – you know, the danger that you just learnt about or watched? And chew your food, appreciate it, be thankful for it. You might even feel full earlier and more satisfied, rather than realising that you’ve just eaten but you still feel hungry. That would be because your brain hasn’t registered that you ate your meal. Weird, but true.
- Set time limits on your apps. I started doing that with Instagram, set to 30mn a day and it’s changed how I use it. I know that my time is limited so I want to only check the things that I am interested in. I sometimes cheat because I can ignore the limit but I push myself to keep that limit set to myself. See if you can do it too with your phone, again in the settings, it should be in the screen time section. Give it a try !
- The last one that I like is stretching, or doing chair yoga. We crouch over our screens which is not good for our back, our neck, and in time our hips and legs. So make sure you exercise, or stretch during the day. You’ll find loads of free videos on Youtube, take advantage of that.
To Conclude : Let’s Be Mindful About Digital Wellbeing
Our digital wellbeing should now more than ever be a concern but in a positive way. How can we make sure we improve our behaviours when it comes to technology? Do we use our screens in a mindful way? Are we aware of patterns that can be detrimental to our health? Are we easily influenced, and if yes is it towards positive outcomes? If in doubt, go for a walk. I always find that getting some fresh and be in nature when possible has the power to re-centre myself.
Let me know in the comments how you are taking care of your digital wellbeing, and what tips you can share with all of us.
*Mo Gawdat’s mission is to help one billion people be happier. He explains how we can create new neural connections by laughing, being happy, watch comedians shows and therefore train our brain to produce happy hormones.
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