Digital Wellbeing

Technology plays a big part in all our lives and there are a lot of different ways to think about how we can live well with technology. It can be a powerful tool for learning, connecting with others, as well as helping us to have fun and enjoy ourselves. It is also important that we are aware of the potential downsides, like how addictive technology can be and the ways in which it can be used to spread misinformation.

Technology is a tool, and, like any tool, it can be used for good or for bad. It is up to us to use it wisely and responsibly. Ultimately, we can decide and choose how we want to live with it.

Digital wellbeing is about finding a healthy balance between using technology and living a fulfilling life. It is about being aware of how technology affects our overall wellbeing. There are many ways that we can improve our digital wellbeing by setting limits on our screen time, taking breaks from technology and raising awareness of how we use it.

Here are my five top tips for having a healthy relationship with technology:

1. Review your digital wellbeing

The key is to use technology in a way that enhances our life rather than allow it to control us.

Review your digital habits and ask yourself the following questions:

How much time do I spend online each day?

How do I feel when I’m online?

What type of activities do I do online?

How does being online affect my sleep, mood, self-esteem and relationships?

What steps can I take to improve my digital wellbeing?

2. Manage your time well

Time is precious and a great deal of valuable minutes or even hours can be lost mindlessly scrolling through social media and not using technology in a constructive or healthy way.

The first step towards improving our digital wellbeing is to get a detailed understanding of how we use technology. It is helpful to be aware of how much time we spend using our digital devices and how we interact with them. Most devices can monitor our activity so we can assess the amount of time we spend on each app and digital device. It is well worth analysing how we spend our time on technology.

3. Declutter

Decluttering our digital space can be a great way to improve our productivity, reduce stress and use technology in a way that is healthy and beneficial for us.

Here are a few decluttering tips:

• Reduce or switch off any unnecessary notifications
• Organise your files and create folders for your files and organise them by topic or date
• Clean up your inbox and delete or archive old emails
• Unsubscribe from any mailing lists that you don’t want to be on
• Clear your browsing history and cookies

4. Have a relationship with social media

Review your social media accounts and unfollow any accounts that don’t add value to your life.

Various studies into neurological and emotional wellbeing highlight the value of taking a break from technology. The term ‘brainrot’ has now been coined to describe a state of mental fogginess and cognitive decline that results from excessive screen engagement.

Setting daily limits on the apps and websites we use is a good place to start and once we hit the limit, the apps and sites are paused and notifications are silenced. A digital detox will help to reduce stress, improve our sleep and increase our productivity.

This will also help us to connect with the people and things that are important to us.

5. Put your phone to bed

There are some excellent reasons why it is a good idea to switch off and put our phones to bed at night. The blue light emitted from our phone screen can interfere with our sleep cycle and this can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Checking our phone before we go to bed can expose us to stressful news and social media posts that could agitate our minds and make it harder to relax.

Sleep is one of the most important things for our wellbeing and when we get good quality sleep, our bodies and minds are given the opportunity to rest, repair and recharge.