Author: It’s Time to Log Off

Adolescent Loneliness is Skyrocketing- is Tech the Culprit?

A new report published on the 20th of July in the Journal of Adolescence has found that globally adolescent loneliness has increased dramatically between 2012 and 2018 and that this is due to the proliferation of smartphones during this time. The research was taken from a study of over 1 million 15-16 years old students and was not impacted by the pandemic (as it ended in 2018) which would be expected to have a great impact on teen wellbeing.

What does the study say?

Previously research had documented increases in adolescent loneliness and depression in the UK, US and Canada along at the same time but the factors causing the shift were unclear. This study however has found that adolescent loneliness increased in 36 out of 37 countries studied during this timeframe. This increase found that nearly twice as many adolescents had high levels of loneliness in 2018 than in 2012.

Two factors associated with strongly impacting loneliness were smartphone use which resulted in higher loneliness whilst higher unemployment rates resulted in lower loneliness, clearly highlighting that it is screens, and access to them, which is the root cause of this increase in depression in the last 10 years.

This study is particularly striking as the correlation between the rise of smartphone use and adolescent loneliness does not merely follow an increase in depression previously. Depression and loneliness rates had been stable or decreasing in the years up to 2012, marking a sudden shift in this data, along with the proliferation of smartphone use. An earlier study in 2012 had also been identified as the year that smartphone ownership passed 50% in the US meaning that it was a significant time not only for mental health statistics but also technologically.

What does that mean for your teens?

We have been writing about the impact of excess screen exposure on adolescents for many years. This generation (Gen Z) are the first to be raised in a world surrounded by technology, they are the first to never experience childhood without it, and thus we are having to learn with them the impacts that it can have. As smartphone addiction increase in the last 10 years, adolescents have spent less time interacting in person and more time on social media. Unfortunately the refusal of some teens to use social media does not actually benefit them as if their friends still use social media they will be less available for in-person interaction and even when they are face to face those phones can dampen enjoyment through ‘phubbing‘.

Therefore, we recommend encouraging your teens to meet up in person. If you have the means, you could encourage them to host, or simply facilitate that contact in any way you can (such as by driving them if they are able to drive themselves). You can also encourage your teens to practice phone-free interactions both at home and with their friends in order to get the most out of their time with friends, and hopefully reduce loneliness in the long-term.

View the original article at itstimetologoff.com

Phone Addiction: Spotting The Symptoms And Taking The Next Steps

Phone addiction is a difficult thing to quantify. We all have so many different reasons to use our phone – from monitoring work emails, to sending funny photos to the family group chat – that there is no easy way to define phone addiction through usage patterns. Therefore, we should instead look out for the symptoms.

A popular way of defining phone addiction is through likening it to substance addiction. For example, a 2020 study defined smartphone addiction as ‘several behaviours (that) produce short-term reward that may
engender persistent behaviour despite knowledge of adverse
consequences’.

Essentially, smartphone addicts use their phones even in situations where it doesn’t benefit them. A 2016 study even listed some of these ‘short-term reward’ behaviours, which include: ‘use in dangerous situations’ (for example, whilst driving), ‘harm or repeated interruptions to work, social or family life’ and ‘anxiety or negative feelings associated with inability to send or receive immediate responses’.

Do you check your phone at the family dinner table or when hanging out with friends? Do you feel stressed when you can’t check your emails or social media? Do you spend time on your phone mindlessly scrolling – when you know you’d rather be doing something else – just because you can?

If you answered yes to any of these, then you are exhibiting signs of phone addiction. But do not worry if you have self-diagnosed yourself because you are not alone; nearly half of the people asked in this American survey consider themselves addicted to their phone. And those are only the people being honest with themselves.

Being brutally honest with yourself is crucial. This is because phone addiction can look different in everyone, so you need to take control of your own habits. Once you have obtained an objective viewpoint from where you can critically evaluate your tech use, you can start identifying problem areas.

1. Motivate Yourself

First, you need to ask yourself why you want to beat your addiction?Breaking habits is hard. To stay motivated, you need to have a solid reason as to why you want to ditch your unhealthy digital reliance.

Is it because you want to spend more time with family and friends? Is it because you want to reinvest the time into developing new hobbies? Is it for your physical health? Whatever the reason, it will help you stay focussed towards achieving your personal goals.

2. Ditch Your Excuses

Sometimes our phone’s role in our daily routine blinds us to the unhealthy relationship we have formed with it. We rely on smartphones from the start to the end of our day, for example to sound alarms or keep track of important dates.

This gives us a reason – and often an excuse – to reach for our phone throughout the day. Therefore, remove your phone from the equation where possible: use an alarm clock and buy a paper diary or calendar. Prove to yourself that you are not so reliant on your phone as you may currently feel.

3. Find a Friend

If cutting down on device usage is something you may struggle with, team up with a friend. It is likely that many of your friends, family and colleagues are also suffering from phone addiction, or at least over-dependence, and could do with a helping hand to tackle it.

Not only will tackling addiction with a friend keep you motivated, having someone to hold you accountable will force you to be honest with your tech use and stick to your goals.

Furthermore, you and your friend can plan activities together to distract yourselves from your screens. Through busying yourselves, you will find that want to check your phones far less pressing and effortlessly cut down your phone time. By finding joy away from screens together, you will both find you establish a more healthy relationship with tech.

View the original article at itstimetologoff.com

How to Break Screen Addiction: 5 Visible Signs That Your Child is Addicted

This past year children have been spending even more time on their screens for education which has made it harder for parents to spot screen addiction. Despite pandemic restrictions being lifted in the UK, this past week saw over 700,000 students isolating at home and forced to continue remote learning. This has led to a 100% increase in time spent on apps by children (spurred in the main by YouTube and TikTok). With these increases both for educational and entertainment purposes, more and more children are showing signs of being addicted to screens, and it is getting harder and harder for parents to delineate addiction from overuse. So, we have put together some visible signs to pick up on to indicate that your child is addicted and needs help.

Loss of interest in other activities

The first and most obvious sign of screen addiction is a loss of interest in other activities. During the pandemic this may have been harder to spot as all ‘other activities’ ground to a halt. However, these need not be hobbies such Girl Guides which were made impossible over the last year. This could instead include: family movie night, going for walks, or playing with the family pet. If your child does show a lack of interest in other activities it may be time to remove their device and allow them the space to reconnect with the world.

Interferes with socialising

A related symptoms could be if your child consistently chooses technology over interaction with others. This could be family, friends, schoolmates or anyone they interact with. You will know your children best and thus be able to judge if their focus on the screen is due to shyness or a prioritisation of that device. Once again, our tip to help with this is to remove the device during sociable times, such as at meal times and when friends come over, so there is no distraction.

Withdrawal symptoms

Once again, a symptom related to those above is that of withdrawal from those around them. Does your child sit alone with their device instead of interacting with those around them? Do they prefer to be alone in their room? Are they quieter than usual, or have they stopped getting involved with other people? These could all mean your child is withdrawing, which can be a symtpom of screen addiction but also deeper mental health conditions such as depression. So, we recommend seeking medical help if you feel it is serious and in the meantime supporting your child to reintegrate with the people around them.

Deceptive behvaiours

Similarly to other addictions, one symptom is that of deception. For example, perhaps they tell you they only use their device for school but you find it is used for social media. Perhaps they set up ways to get around the parental controls, or, perhaps they have found your hiding spot and take the device when they shouldn’t have it. All are symptoms of addiction and need to be responded to with the removal of the device. After a period of detox it can then be reintroduced, perhaps supervised, and trust can be rebuilt.

Only talk about screens

This final symptom is perhaps the most obvious: all they talk about is screens. This could be games, social media, or any other addictive app on their device. If your child cannot have a conversation without bringing the topic back to their screen use then it is time for some space!

We hope you will not recognise any of these symptoms as behaviour your child exhibits. However, if that is not the case, we have plenty of resources throughout our website to help you support your child through this.

View the original article at itstimetologoff.com

10 Reasons to do a Digital Detox

Have you thought about taking a digital detox? To digitally detox is to set, and enjoy, time away from screens and technology. Digital detoxes are beneficial for our health and mindset, and after spending so much time on screens last year, it is time to give our bodies and minds a chance to rest and recuperate. There are many digital detox benefits, and you may pleasantly surprise yourself with the positive differences you feel by detoxing digitally.

1. To take back time for yourself

It can be overwhelming to be constantly online. Whether you are a serial scroller or constantly stress-checking your work emails, the constant stream of news and media can be stressful and difficult to process. Therefore, log off, and allow yourself time away from this virtual world. You will find that both your time and headspace free up.

2. To discover new hobbies, and rediscover old ones

Use the time you have taken back for yourself to do something you enjoy. In disconnecting, you give yourself a chance to immerse yourself in offline activities. You might even find that you develop new hobbies and interests, now that not so much of your free time is spent on technology.

3. For your sleep cycle

Technology wreaks havoc with our sleep cycle. Cutting it out squashes the temptation to use technology in the hours before we go to bed, or – even worse – lie in bed on our phones at night. Not interacting with technology in the hours leading up to our bedtime allows us to switch off and fall asleep easier. We will find ourselves better rested as a result.

4. For your eyes

Excess blue light is harmful to our eyes. It is therefore crucial that you give your eyes a rest from screens regularly. If you can make this a long break, even better! You will allow your eyes to properly rest, and likely find that you will experience less headaches and eye strain now that you are not spending so much time fixated on a screen.

5. For your posture

Our technology use makes it difficult to maintain good posture, and this can cause stress on our body. Giving yourself a break from sitting at a computer or being hunched over your phone protects your back, and may give you a better chance against suffering from back pain.

6. To relieve yourself from stress

Being constantly connected can be stressful. Turning of technology will allow you to properly switch off.

7. To enjoy the world around you

Not having a screen to focus on allows us to drink in the natural beauty of our surroundings. Use the time not on technology to get outside and appreciate the world we live in.

8. To break behavioural cycles

You might find yourself in a perpetual cycle of bad habits. For example, checking your phone first thing in the morning, or using technology whilst you eat. Removing technology from your daily routine will break these bad habits, and make you less inclined to readopt them.

9. For the people close to you

Plus, they will observe the positive changes in you thanks to your digital detox. We all worry about our loved ones, and want each other to be happy, so seeing you less stressed, less lethargic and in a brighter mood will bring joy to those close to you.

10. To develop better habits for the future

Prove to yourself that you can live without your tech. Learn to set time aside, away from screens, and then incorporate this into your daily life once you have completed your digital detox. This will help you develop a healthier relationship with technology, sustaining the digital detox benefits you will have experienced.

View the original article at itstimetologoff.com

10 Smart Tricks to Help You Stick to Your Digital Detox

After a year on screens, this year many of us challenged ourselves to take a break from the online world, to log off and look up at the world reopening around us. However, as January turned to February and then nearly half the year flew by, those resolutions may have lost momentum. Maybe you committed to limit your time on social media using our digital detox tips but haven’t gotten around to it yet? Or perhaps you committed to leave your phone outside your bedroom but haven’t been able to consistently manage that either because you still use it as an alarm?

Whatever the excuse, all is not lost! We know how difficult it can be to stick to those plans so we have come up with 10 smart and simple digital detox tips to help you stay committee despite the distractions.

#1 Go Cold Turkey

We have always said: the best way to start a digital detox journey, or to restart it, is to go cold turkey. You don’t have to switch off for a month and go stay in an ashram, you can carry on your life much the same as normal, but turn off your devices. This will enable you to find a new baseline, of how much time you actually have in the day and what you want to do with it. We would recommend a week but if a weekend is all you can manage that’s fine – turn off devices at 5pm on Friday and on again at 9am on Monday- you will be amazed at the change two and a bit days can make.

#2 Work Out What You Want

This is another really important tip for when you are first starting (or restarting) this digital detox journey: you need to work out what you want. For each of us that will be a different thing, perhaps you want to spend more time with your kids, improve your sleep quality or find the time to get reading again. No matter what it is, work it out, write it down, and put it up above your desk or in your bedroom. This way you’ll know what you are doing your digital detox for.

#3 Remember, Imitation is the best form of flattery

When you are getting into the swing of things it can be hard to go from cold turkey to completely reinventing your life. So, we recommend you cheat, just a little bit! Find someone with a similar work/ life to yours whose relationship with screens you admire. It could be your boss, desk mate, sister-in-law or spouse. Once you have picked your person ask them questions about their screen-life balance (particularly as it relates to your goals), and copy what they do – it really can be that simple!

Expert level: once you have got into the habits of your chosen role model and stuck with them for a while you can start to adapt them to your lifestyle.

#4 Set mini milestones

As you know, if you are one of the people getting back on the bandwagon after a few months of not following your resolutions, it can be hard to stick to your goals and achieve them. So, we recommend setting little milestones and rewarding yourself. For example, if your goal is to spend more time with your family one milestone could be a week of dinner eaten without screens and the reward could be a trip to a theme park together (or if that is a little extreme, maybe just the local park with ice cream!). This will enable you to break up the goal and manage it more effectively.

#5 Grab an accountability buddy

Another of our digital detox tips is to find an accountability buddy. They could be someone else on the journey to digital health, a housemate who can keep an eye on you or even be your role model from #3! Whoever they are, tell them your goals and milestones and let them keep you accountable through checking up on you every so often. Telling someone can even make you more successful in the long run!

#6 Get outside

As we have said many times before, getting outside really is one of the best things you can do for your mental, physical and digital health. Last week In the UK Mental Health Awareness week and we spoke a lot about the value of time in nature, in order to improve general wellbeing. Another great thing about nature is that screens were not designed for the outside (as you well know if you have tried to use your phone on a sunny day) so the very act of being outside can keep you accountable.

#7 Fill your time

Linked to the idea of going outside, our next digital detox tip is to keep yourself busy. Whether this is through analogue alternatives, such as the ones we have proposed in our series last year, or other hobbies is up to you- just make sure that the time you used to spend on screen is now filled with joy and movement instead of sedentary boredom otherwise you won’t make it!

#8 Set boundaries

Again, this is one of our most often cited digital detox tips, repeated only because of its universal truth: you cannot begin to rebuild your digitally balanced life without setting some boundaries. These may be around time, e.g. not going on your phone until you start work, or physical places, e.g. no phones in the bathroom. However you choose to set those boundaries, consistency is key. Once they are a part of your everyday life you will wonder at the difference they have made.

#9 Turn off notifications

Another smart tip is to turn off notifications. Notifications are designed to hook you in, the smartest minds in Silicon Valley have perfectly crafted them so that they interrupt your focus and draw you to the app, never to leave again. Internal emails are now, on average, opened within 6 seconds of them being sent– notifications are too addictive. So, turn them off! Similarly to going cold turkey, have them off for a while and then you can decide if the pros outweigh cons for some apps, such as calendar.

#10 Enjoy!

Though you are working towards a goal, spending more time offline should actually be fun, so try to enjoy it. Make sure that you substitute screen time for fun and get the most out of the experience, that is the best way to guarantee success.

For more tips on sticking to your digital detox take a look at our new book ‘My Brain Has Too Many Tabs Open‘, publishing in the US and Uk on 7th September 2021.

View the original article at itstimetologoff.com

Could ‘digital pruning’ work for you?

Recent research out of Durham University has suggested that the practice of ‘digital pruning’, as coined by the researcher Hockin-Boyers, may be the answer to our tech-life problems. In her study of young weightlifting women who are in recovery from eating disorders she discovered that they were not as ‘vulnerable’ to the ills of social media as previous research may suggest. She found that this was due to a practice common amongst these women to edit their feeds which she titled ‘digital pruning’.

Adults today are spending an average of 102 minutes a day on social media (whether that be Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram). Those hours we spend online, as we have talked about before, are not always positive, and can increase mental ill-health if we are not careful about how we use screen time. So, this new idea of ‘digital pruning’ could be one way to make online life work in an ever-digitised world.

What is it?

The first and most important question is what ‘digital pruning’ even is, and how it is potentially relevant to your life. Briefly, it is the practice of unfollowing unhelpful or triggering content in the interests of wellbeing. In the recent research carried out at Durham this took the form of women (specifically those who lifted weights and were in recovery from eating disorders) choosing to unfollow accounts which fell under categories such as ‘fitspo’ or ‘thinspo’ and could be damaging to their recovery. However we believe these methods can be put into practice by anyone: man or woman, with varied vulnerabilities or insecurities in their quest to achieve the healthy digital balance we advocate.

How does it work?

These methods could work in various ways for different people. For those in the study the pruning was needed in areas of their life which related to food and eating.

“Instagram is your personal magazine, and you curate your own magazine. And I try and do that with it. So I try and make sure that it’s, like, a healthy place for me to be, instead of somewhere where there’s like loads of people calorie counting and being like, “this is what’s in my food” or “this is my 4 hour workout”.

– A participant in THE Durham Study

We would recommend that if you are to take up digital pruning you do so alongside some other techniques we suggest in order to gain the most benefit from your new digital diet. Most importantly, that means starting with a complete overhaul of your social media followings. We would recommend you do this by going through each of the accounts you follow and Marie-Kondo-style deciding if each spark joy enough for you to continue to actively consume them (and muting or unfollowing those that don’t).

What could it look like for you?

Depending on your needs ‘digital pruning’ could take on myriad forms. If you are suffering from doom scrolling it could mean that you unfollow news outlets on all social media platforms. If you are struggling with comparison between your friendship group you could ‘mute’ your friends for a week. Alternatively if you are struggling with alcohol dependency or mental health issues you could choose to follow accounts which support you, and unfollowing those which portray the experiences you are attempting to avoid.

For more tips on managing your digital wellbeing, take a look at our new book: ‘My Brain Has Too Many Tabs Open‘, publishing in the US and Uk on 7th September 2021.

View the original article at itstimetologoff.com

Get Off Screens And Connect With Our Blue Planet, For World Ocean Day

When we spend too much time on screens we become disconnected from the world about us, particularly our natural spaces which bring us so much physical and mental health benefits. In the week of World Ocean Day we want to encourage you to get off screens and reconnect with oceans, seas and open water.

We’re all familiar with the benefits of green spaces for our mental health, but have you ever considered the impacts of blue spaces? There is something so serene – so grounding – about large bodies of water. In fact, one study found that people living nearer to large lakes were less likely to be hospitalised for anxiety or mood disorders. This suggests that merely being around large bodies of water can have a protective effect on our mental health.

Whether walking beside a river, a lake, or the sea, many people find that the water has a soothing effect on them. At times when we may be feeling stressed, lethargic, or that our mental health is dipping, making a decision to get off screens and connect with the sea can be extremely powerful.

A University of Exeter study found that low income households with closer proximity to the sea showed better mental health than those living further from the ocean. One possible explanation for this was that living near the sea was found to mitigate certain health issues – for example, sea air promotes respiratory health and stimulates the immune system. And having fewer physical health problems significantly lowers your risk of developing mental health issues.

If you are someone who cannot be near water without wanting to dive in, you’ll be pleased to hear that wild swimming is great for your mental health too. Marine biologist Wallace J Nichols hypothesised the ‘blue mind’: the sense of meditative serenity we feel underwater. Essentially, it is the ‘antidote’ to the stressed, chaotic and angry ‘red mind’. Nichols argues that the regularity of a rolling tide eases us and helps us put our worries into perspective, minimising stress. The blue mind can be achieved when you are immersed in water – either visually or physically.

In particular, cold water swimming has been found to boost mental health, reducing the effects of anxiety and depression in particular. Your swim in the sea is not just good for your heart and muscles; it’s beneficial for your mind as well. The cold will heighten your alertness, un-clouding your thoughts. This can help release and remove any stress and negative thoughts you have been hanging on to. You will feel refreshed. However, despite this spring in your step, you will also feel tired due to the physical exercise and the sea air. This is a good thing! Tiring your body out will enable you to sleep easier and keep you in a healthier and more regular sleep pattern, mitigating the often negative sleep impacts of time spent on screens.

Get off screens on World Ocean Day

We must protect our oceans, seas, and water sources, not only for their own sake, but also so that they can continue being sources of recovery and restoration for us all. On Tuesday 8th June the globe marks World Ocean Day, a day focused on preserving and restoring our blue planet and working towards a healthier ocean that sustains us. Have a look at the resources which World Ocean Day produces to help everyone celebrate and honour our one shared ocean.

On Saturday 12 June, marine conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage is holding a paddle-out protest (a paddle-out is a symbolic event where surfers form a circle in the sea, usually in a tribute or as a memorial), coinciding with the G7 summit, asking that world leaders “focus on a need for a green and blue recovery”. And sustainable clothing brand Finisterre will be hosting #Sea7, a live streamed ‘ocean activist training camp’ to connect and engage communities with the facts and means by which they can stand up to protect our ocean.

Get involved with any, or all, of the events this week around World Ocean Day, but above all – if you can – make a resolution to get off screens and reconnect with our blue planet over the next few days: for all the incredible mental and physical health benefits that time in, or beside, the ocean will give you.

View the original article at itstimetologoff.com

Vitamin Sea: Rediscover the Healing Power of Water

Combine your digital detox with a trip to the sea and you’ll double up on the physical and mental health boost.

The sea has so many benefits, that it’s been referred to by some as ‘vitamin sea’. As an island nation in the UK, we are at most 70 miles from the sea in any one direction and there are over 31,000 miles of coastline for you to explore. It is also free to use and as the weather improves, and restrictions are lifted there is really no excuse to not take advantage of the gorgeous beaches we have at our fingertips.

But why is the sea so useful when it comes to digital detox? Well, there are lots of physical and mental health benefits that are associated with wild swimming, as we talked about in a previous post. Not only that, but there are also untold benefits related to our use of technology.

You can’t bring your phone

The first, and perhaps most obvious benefit of wild swimming, particularly in the sea, is that you can’t bring your phone. When you are running, cycling or walking it is fair to say that your phone is rarely apart from you- measuring every step. However in this unique form of exercise, there is no pocket for a phone, and the very environment of the water will likely destroy it so it must be left on land. This gives us a rare opportunity to simply be with nature. We can appreciate the beauty and strength of the sea without the option of taking photos or calls. If you are able to get into the habit of swimming in the sea regularly, you can then give yourself a regular break from your screens.

Breathing techniques

Studies have also shown that the breathing patterns used whilst swimming and underwater simulate a parasynthetic nervous system response in a positive way, influencing your brain waves and hormone regulation to impact you positively. Not only are you getting some good exercise therefore, you are also resetting your brain from the addictive qualities of your devices, to allow them to function healthily and positively.

Cheaper hydrotherapy

The sea, as we’ve already pointed out, is free which is one of its greatest benefits. Hydrotherapy (water therapy) has been shown to have significant impacts on decreasing anxiety and depression amongst those who regularly swim. One study even found that the use of hydrotherapy (which some pay thousands for) was similar to a commonly prescribed anti-depressant. So, if you live nearish the sea, or a river or lake, (which most of us do in the UK), take advantage of your free resources!

Joys of cold water swimming

Whilst the waters will be warming up at this time of year, we are never going to suggest that the sea in the UK is anything but cold. However, this does not have to be a negative. If you struggle particularly you could get a wet suit, but the cold water is actually a great positive for your physical health. Regular swimming in cold water has been shown to increase seratonin, bodily immunity, organ function and more– so why not get some vitamin sea through your cold water exposure?

View the original article at itstimetologoff.com

10 Questions That Will Help You in Your Digital Detox

We all know how difficult digital detoxes can be, with many struggling to make it through the first few hours, let alone days and months which allow healthier habits to form. Throughout our blogs we have written a lot about techniques and tricks you can use to help you stay on track with your goals. However, we also know that it is your attitude and mental commitment above all else which will support you to stick to this challenge. So, we have put together some questions to help you digital detox effectively and maintain your habits long term.

1. Why am I doing this?

The first and most important question, as always, is the reason behind your aim to reduce screen time. Is it because you feel you are missing time with your family? Is it because your sleep is suffering? Perhaps you are unable to concentrate at work and are slowing in your ability to complete tasks? Or perhaps you are simply sick of spending hours a day on Instagram and want to take up other hobbies. Whatever your motivator may be – cling to it. Remind yourself daily of what you hope to achieve and make sure you tie each decision or action regarding phone usage to you goal.

2. What is important to me?

This question is similar to the first in that you must take a look at your life and prioritise your habits and commitments. If the reason you are taking part in a digital detox is for your family then remember to priorities them at all times over your screens. It can be easy to think ‘I’ll just do this first, and then get on to my other responsibilities’ but that behaviour prioritises your phone, so ensure you are giving the important areas of your life their true value.

3. Who do I want to emulate?

One of the best ways to keep yourself on track at the beginning is to pick someone in your life (be it a partner, colleague or family member) whose commitments are similar to yours and whose screen usage you admire. Once you have found this person you can ask them how they balance screen time with other responsibilities and then mimic that behaviour until you find your own groove.

4. Who can keep me accountable?

Again, linked to the question above is that of ascertaining who in your life you can rely on to keep you on track. For many it may be the very person you are emulating, or perhaps simply someone else you live with. You could carry out the digital detox together or just have them know your goals and keep an eye on you. However you choose to use them, these accountability buddies can be invaluable to help you digital detox.

5. Where can I cut out screen time?

As we have written many times before, one of the best ways to reduce your screen time is to limit your screen usage by location. For example, perhaps you don’t bring phones to the bathroom or the dinner table. Similarly you could commit to not using screens in the bedroom. Whichever spaces you ban screens from, the simple act of committing to a rule will help enormously.

6. When can I cut out screen time?

Similarly, another question to ask yourself is when you can remove screens from your day to day life. Perhaps this could be when you go to the shops, when you carry out a night/ morning routine, when you commute or when you eat. Again, whichever you choose make sure you stick to it so it can help you digital detox.

7. What are my milestones?

When you first start reducing screen time it can be hard to focus on the end goal of balance. So, we recommend you set yourself some milestones to work towards, so that it seems easier. This could be: ‘a day without mindlessly scrolling’ or ‘a week without using my phone on a commute’ once you have achieved these the next steps will seem easier.

8. How do I want to spend my time?

As you cut out more screen time your free time will expand beyond recognition. So, it’s important that you find hobbies or tasks to fill that time and keep you from reaching for your phone. These could include puzzles, reading, writing letters to friends and family, a new exercise regime or even board games. Whatever the new pastime may be, ensure that you enjoy it so that being off screens is worth it.

9. How can I get back on track if I lose my way?

All of us get off track at times, it is human. So one of the most important questions we want you to ask yourself is how you will get back to your goal if you lose your way. Will you kickstart it with a stricter digital detox? Or reward yourself with fun activities? Maybe you will seek advice from our podcast guests, or books. However you choose to re-motivate yourself, know that failure is part of the process and it is how you confront it that is the real test of your resolve.

10. What would success look like?

The most important question you must ask yourself as you continue on this journey and answer these questions to help you digital detox is what you are aiming for. As for your milestones, set a concrete aim for how you want to live, with parameters for time on screens or inversely time spent with the reason for getting off them. This will help you move forward – and achieve true digital balance.

View the original article at itstimetologoff.com

A Digital Detox Will Lift Your Mental Health

Your relationship with tech may be having a negative effect on your mood. It may be negatively impacting your sleep, increasing your anxiety, and making it difficult to find time for the things you love. Therefore, putting away your digital devices could have a positive effect on your lifestyle, and may lift your mood by giving you a more positive outlook on life in general. Try a digital detox for mental health.

Removing screens from your leisure hours will give you time that you can put into activities which are nourishing for both your mind and body. In May, for Mental Health Awareness Week, we posted a series on how getting away from screens and connecting with nature can boost your mental health. Hence, a digital detox will also give you more to look forward to as you can make time to do the things you enjoy.

Our digital devices are not good for our sleep patterns. The blue light causes us to struggle to fall asleep and disrupts our natural sleep rhythms, whilst the luring call of social media can also wreak havoc with our bedtimes. A digital detox will also improve your sleep – and good sleep is crucial for good mental health.

Many of us are guilty of grabbing our phone and checking social media first thing in the morning. This is a terrible way to start our day. You may not realise it, but we are constantly making comparisons between our own lives and that of others. This is especially dangerous when viewing social media, because you will only see the high points of others’ lives. Whereas we would like to wake up and feel grateful and excited for the day ahead, this instead causes us to feel negative about our own realities,. The feeling of reduced self worth will also likely linger subconsciously throughout the rest of our day.

Similarly, staying away from tech can preserve your positive mood by keeping us from unpleasant news and stories. It is good to check the news, but sometimes our need to consume story after story can get obsessive. For example, in the last year, most of us have spent time doomscrolling – endlessly scrolling through social media and news sites to read disheartening and depressing news. We work ourselves into states of panic and despair, and the constant stream of bleak content means we struggle to see the positive in our lives.

Reevaluate your relationship with tech, and what your digital devices do for you. Identify where they are having negative effects on your life – whether through keeping you from sleeping, or gluing you to news sites – and try to remove these habits from your routine. This will lift your mood. In fact, a frequent digital detox for mental health will help us to protect our mental health by reducing sources of distress, resulting in a less negative outlook on life in general.

If you feel you need someone to guide you through a digital detox, or that you cannot manage yourself alone, check out our digital detox course which will guide you through the process.

View the original article at itstimetologoff.com