Digital wellness refers to the state of one’s mental and physical health in a digital age. During the pandemic the world connected, survived and healed via technology and all the benefits that come with it. It’s safe to say that being in a digital world has now become more than a luxury. It’s a necessity. One cannot imagine going about their day without using their smartphone. There is a dependency attached to it that is easily available.
Looking at how this digital age is just getting started, it’s safe to assume it’s not going anywhere. Therefore, we need to take preventive measures to try and balance the use instead of calling it harmful and hoping to get rid of it.
We can take small measures such as, taking a digital break over the weekend where for a big amount of time instead of binge watching something you may want to read or make something even. Away from the screen. Give yourself 60 to 90 minutes of break each day and stay away from the screen, this can be substituted with family time or listening to music etc., Use blue light if you’re working for longer hours.
Ideally being too addictive to the SM apps is due to loneliness, anxiety or even FOMO. It wouldn’t be impossible to schedule set time to visit SM. Monitoring the time will help. If you have a tablet, you can switch all the apps from your phone to your tab and keep the tab in a different room to avoid temptation. Instead of chatting which can go on and on, pick up the phone and call and talk.
Include more if not equal amount of time for walks, meditation, hobbies, spending time with family etc., It would be ingenuous to say that being in a digital age is bad. One needs to learn how to take charge and make it work for them rather than feeling totally helpless about it.
(Wrote this piece of advice for DTNext - https://www.dtnext.in/Lifestyle/LifeStyleTopNews/2021/07/03010950/1304529/Digital-detox-social-media-breaks-are-important-for-.vpf)