Every now and then if you own an iphone, you might be familiar with the usage notification that tells you how many hours a day you are spending on your mobile phone. It comes as a bit of a shock when you find out you’re spending a couple of hours a day glued to your device! It’s so easy to get carried away for hours on social media or watching funny videos etc. But you’re not alone there, 61% of people admit they’re addicted to their screens!
The truth is that too much screen time is very bad for our health, both physical and especially our mental health. That’s why it’s a good idea to refrain from using smartphones every now and then and simply take a break.
Why Should We Take a Break?
If you think it’s not doing you any harm, perhaps it’s not but the reality is that countless studies have shown that taking breaks from your devices can significantly lower stress levels. So if you think work or family or friends are stressing you out, perhaps a contributing factor is the over-reliance on technology that is feeding our stress and anxiety.
Your brain reacts to messages and notifications on your phone with a dopamine hit which is the same area of your brain that responds to addictive drugs like cocaine. Now we’re not saying your smartphone is as dangerous as a drug but on the other hand becoming addicted to anything and it affecting your quality of life is never something to be toyed with.
A friend of mine constantly switches his phone off when he wants to “get stuff done”. This is a good technique as we often use our devices as a distraction when we have to do things we are not that keen on such as studying for an exam, cleaning the house etc. Taking a break from your devices allows you to be more productive!
On the physical side, staring at a screen for hours can cause eye strain, dry eyes and headaches and can also affect the quality of your sleep. Especially staring at your screen just before bed keeps your brain alert and active and delays melatonin being released which is the hormone that helps you go to sleep. Lack of sleep and lower quality sleep over time can affect your mood and health.
What is The Best Way to Do This?
There are a few ways to successfully and regularly detox from tech:
Use Apps to track your usage and keep an eye on it. Some phones like iPhones can do that and if your phone doesn’t have that functionality there are plenty of free apps that allow you to track your usage times. This can help you identify what you are spending a lot of time on and become more aware and mindful of the areas that need improvement.
Make sure you switch off before bedtime by not staring at any devices before bed. About half an hour to an hour before bed perhaps read a book or do some minor housework like fold some clothes and wipe down the kitchen counter. These tasks will allow your brain to move more easily into sleep-mode once you hop into bed.
Turn off Notifications. If you find yourself seeing and responding to every notification, you are most likely experiencing the dopamine hits, especially if you get quite a few notifications every day it can be a good idea to switch them off and simply only respond to message at certain times during the day when you decide to look at your phone, not because it is grabbing your attention 24/7.
You can always try a full day off every now and then, we realise this isn’t possible for everybody but if you can do a complete detox one day a week with absolutely no screens that would be quite the achievement. That means it’s time to get back to basics and entertain ourselves with some none-screen related things like reading a book, walking, connecting with people outdoors etc.
It’s Hard at First But That Changes
Like everything, the first while making any changes can feel a bit strange and empty? That’s quite normal as we adapt to not receiving those dopamine hits and being distracted but with time it gets much easier so stick with it!
