Smartphones have become second nature to us now. For some, our whole lives are in our devices. There are many positives to having phones, like keeping in contact with friends and family. Meeting new people and staying up to date with the world. We are all addicted in some shape or form, but it’s figuring out if you may need a break from the blue screen. Studies have shown that those who are constantly connected to their phones had a significantly higher level of stress and depression than those who hardly use their device.
Read through the five-pointers below on how to find the right balance for you and your health.
1: Finding balance with social media
As social beings, connection is important to us, and not all digital connections are bad as we see many genuine and authentic posts etc. When engaging in social media, try and make it as productive as you can. It’s healthy to make those positive connections by sharing love and support. However, it is not so healthy when it is just a passive engagement, scrolling without purpose. This is a way of maintaining stress, so you don’t realise it is not good for your health. Have a purpose as to why you’re doing what you’re doing.
2: Deleting the comparison
As an influencer, the job is to influence you in whatever way they are promoting. What you have to remember is that everything you see is most likely not real. If you find yourself feeling down as you look through these images, remember you can unfollow. Follow content you want to see instead of something to compare yourself to.
3: Phone usage.
One day you might spend 2 hours on your phone, the next could be all day. It’s important to see your screen time as you can see how much time you have disconnected for and set certain goals on time usage. A key thing to remember is to always put your device down at least 30 minutes before bed. That gives your brain time to settle down rather than being alerted by the blue light, keeping your brain waves more active, leading to overthinking before resting.
4: Notifications
If your phone is constantly vibrating and lighting up in the corner of your eye, you can seriously disrupt your mindfulness. The distraction is always there waiting to be clicked on. Ask yourself, are the notifications adding to your life. Do you need to know every time you get a new like or email? Limit your notifications to only the ones you essentially need. This doesn’t need to be a permanent thing, but it’s worth trying to test how the phone is contributing to anxiety levels.
5: Finding different activities
Our brains don’t perceive device usage as a downtime, adding to the overwhelming anxieties we can experience. Try finding activities that don’t involve your smartphone. It’s good to occupy your mind with things not so straining and more active. It’s so easy to feel like you’re relaxing whilst scrolling; however, that’s not what is actually happening. It’s important to do other things like reading, walking and being face to face with others.
Give your anxiety a break and take a step back from your device, find that balance.
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