Here is a little food for thought: how many hours in your day do you spend without your mobile phone? How often in your day do you spend not looking at a screen?
Many people today are finding that they spending more time in front of a phone, laptop, television or any other type of screen. It is true that we are living in a technology-driven world, and for many people, a smartphone has actually become a part of your daily routine. Perhaps you are one of the people who are looking at your phone first thing in the morning and looking at your phone the last thing at night?
But, it’s also difficult when your work-life depends on technology. Many jobs are incorporating more technology into the workday and numerous people are sitting in front of a computer screen for most of their day. When you have a look at your day and your lifestyle in general, it’s quite common to see that the majority of the day is looking at some form of screen.
Cutting back on your screen usage and participating in a form of digital detox can provide you with a lot of health and wellness benefits. Cutting back on your screen time may very well be worth the effort.
You may be more productive throughout your day
One of the benefits of going through a digital detox is higher productivity levels. When you think about the number of times that you’re looking at a screen or your smartphone, there are a lot of times where you could go without doing those activities and spending more time on things that are a better use of your time.
You may be checking on your social media channels or having a look through people’s photos on Instagram. You may even just be checking on messages and emails. Put all that time together and you’ll have more time to connect with others around you or even spend that time being more productive at work. If you take a break from using that technology, you’ll be able to see where you’re wasting your time and where you can start utilising your time a bit better.
Better relationships
Connecting with the people around you is so important. There is a large number of people who can’t even put their phone down during mealtimes with their family or friends. Taking a break from technology and your smartphone can help you to build better relationships with the people around you.
Has your partner commented that you’re on your phone too much? Now might be a good time to put your phone away, reduce your screen time and get in touch with the people around you just that little bit more.
Improved memory
Some research has been conducted into the way lack of technology can improve one’s memory. Because you’re not constantly looking at your phone or screen throughout a conversation with other people, you may be able to process and store new information a lot more easily. Technology can be quite the distraction and our brains have learnt to ignore seemingly insignificant parts of your conversations. Without the use of technology and smartphone in your hand, you’ll be able to have a deeper connection with people around you and improve your memory when it comes to conversations, meetings or just bonding in general.
Improve your sleep
Yes, there are settings on some phones and devices where you can reduce the amount of blue light that is emitted from your screen to help you get to sleep a little bit easier. But, to make it even easier to go to sleep at night and ensure your body is still producing enough melatonin, it’s better to not be on the looking at the screen in the first place.
Melatonin is a chemical that your brain releases when your body thinks it’s time to sleep. It helps you to relax and be able to get to sleep easier. Looking at a screen before going to sleep reduces or even prevents melatonin from being released, which then makes your body think that it needs to stay awake and remain alert. If you like reading before going to sleep, it may be time to go back to traditional paper books instead of an eBook reader. You’ll be able to still wind down and read your book but you won’t have problems with melatonin production.
For some people, reducing the amount of time in front of a screen can be quite difficult, especially if your work relies on technology. But, even if you limit your technology use outside of work, you’ll be able to build better connections, improve your health and well-being and give your brain a rest while you’re not at work.