Our electronic devices have advantages for helping us be more productive, but they also have disadvantages that can mentally exhaust us from too much time staring at screens resulting in digital fatigue. Unfortunately, this trend of feeling tired after working on the computer or staring at your smartphone for long periods of time to constantly keep up with social media has been on the rise. However, there is still hope to beat digital fatigue and get that robbed energy back with these four simple solutions.
Four Simple Steps to Beat Digital Fatigue
- Reset Your Priorities – Though you don’t want to fall behind in what is happening in the world, work and with family and friends, it is important to set limitations for yourself. An easy start is telling your friends and family that you’re taking a break from social media. In addition, instead of feeling pressured to immediately respond to emails, texts or your social media accounts, it is a better practice to turn on your out-of-office-auto-reply with a message that you’re working and only checking emails once a day. Taking these steps to heart gives you more control compared to letting your electronic devices control you to write the narrative.
- Be Selective About Usage – You can stop a digital overload by writing yourself a note of what you really need to do online first. The reason is sometimes we just browse without a real purpose that later drains us of energy before eventually accomplishing what we really wanted to do.
- Use Your Phone to Help Boost Energy – You can use your phone to also help protect you from digital fatigue by changing a few settings. For example, you can set a time to make the screen go grayscale or do something like turning off the color. Even a slight change such as those would help the look of the screen become less appealing to tempt you to use it.
- Take a Break – Reserve those cognitive resources by putting your mental wellness ahead of constantly being online with your technology. You’ll feel better, become happier and more productive in the process when your mind is rested and unburdened from too much information. As an alternative, try planning out periods of time for checking emails, texts or social media and stay true to those blocks of time, promising yourself only then would you be able to do those things for how to turn off screen time.
Our world depends on technology but it should enhance the quality of our lives, not have a negative impact as a result of digital dependence. This is why taking some easy steps can prevent that stress and mental burnout.
