Tips To Reduce Screen Time And Boost Your Well-Being
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December 28, 2020
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Now, everything from collaboration to socializing happens in the virtual space. We are spending almost one-quarter of our day online. Because most of the time you or your family members are glued to TVs, laptops, tablets and phones during the COVID-19 pandemic. As everyone has adopted work from home as a new norm, excessive screen time while working/studying might lead to eye strain besides other health consequences.
Fortunately, you can take steps to decrease your screen-time addiction. All it requires is a bit of discipline and a willingness to stay mindful when working from home. Few are mentioned below:
Track your time spend
According to research by Statista, a German online statistics database, an average person in 2019 (before lockdown) spends an estimated 153 minutes a day on social media apps — and that amount of time is growing every year. There are certain apps that allow you to see where you're spending time each day. Use these apps or website to analyse your time spend and try to cut down your screen time.
Create phone-free time
This could simply mean putting devices away after work for a certain time, during conversations with family members, and during meal//dinner time. It's also best not to take your phone to bed when it's time to sleep at night. If you still want it to be on your bedside, set it to flight or do-not-disturb mode. This will help to create balance in your life and give your eyes a great time away from screen.
Splash eyes gently with water
Make sure, first, you wash your hands. Because dirty hands might aid the transmission of any contagious infection. Using clean water, splash your eyes, very gently to help refresh them. Do this at least twice or thrice during a day to get rid of fatigue. This eyewash also helps relax and relieve stress in the eyes.
Disable notifications
We are not saying to disable all notifications, but there may be many unwanted apps installed on your phone, whose notifications keep on beeping very frequently. They unknowingly keep you glued to the phone and before you know it, minutes have turned into hours. Whether you tap notifications each time they pop up or not, but your train of thought will inevitably be interrupted by your noticing and determining whether or not to respond to the notification. Hence it will affect your productivity.
Engage in digital detoxes
As you already know that you are spending a lot of time online. Hence it is very critical to take breaks from your screen. Because maximum screen-time usage may lead to back and neck pain, headaches and vision issues. Try to read newspaper, books and magazines rather than digital ones. Meditation is also a great way to relax your mind and eyes Try substituting activities that you would normally do online with fun activities such like cooking, gardening, etc.
It is really important to take correct measures to reduce daily screen time. Technology usage left unchecked can have a devastating effect on our productivity and well-being.