Nowadays, people, from kids to seniors, are surrounded by gadgets. But among all the devices, people depend most on their smartphones and tablets because they can take them anywhere. Consequently, many individuals have grown a dependence on these technologies to the point where they find it hard to function or feel as if their day is incomplete without these devices.
Sadly, this extreme reliance on these devices could be harmful to health. Excessive gadget use, whether online gaming, social media, or live streaming, is highly addictive because it impacts brain dopamine receptors. It’s the exact mechanism that’s triggered by substance abuse. For example, students addicted to online gaming forget to eat or do their assignments. Some ask for help from an essay writing service online to complete their homework. It’s a smart way to free up some time for more gaming.
Another adverse outcome is disrupted sleep patterns. Excessive exposure to blue light from the screen could lead to sleep disorders like insomnia. Extreme sleep deprivation, in turn, could impact work performance and relationships negatively. That’s why people must gain perspective on how tech use affects them, so they can reap the benefits of using their various devices without suffering from its ill effects. Check out the four ways that help create and maintain a healthy relationship with technology.
Jump Link
1. Set Gadget Rules
There are instances when gadget use is inevitable. For example, laptops or desktops are necessary to get things done at work or school. However, for other gadgets like smartphones, consumption could be managed. To illustrate, one of the things most people do as soon as they wake up is to reach their mobile phones, look at notifications, or scroll through social media. Before they realize it, an hour has already passed.
Hence, it’s essential to set rules regarding devices, especially those used for leisure time, like smartphones and tablets. Writing down an actual schedule for usage could help an individual manage time. Most smartphones today have settings that limit hours of usage. By the same token, people could enforce the same rules for their other tech, like laptops or smart TVs. Here are the benefits of doing so:
- Having a schedule for rest allows people to recharge after a busy day at work fully.
- Modifying settings in the phone to enforce limits can remind individuals to put down their phones and make time for other things like hobbies.
- Setting boundaries between personal and professional time could help establish a better balance.
- Having a break from gadgets allows people to build better connections and nurture relationships with those they love.
2. Invest in Harnessing Mental Energy Before Gadget Use
Before anyone gets caught up in the frenzy of gadget use, it would be conducive to fortifying the mind first. Break the bad habit of reaching for the smartphone to start the day. Instead, take ten to fifteen minutes for introspection. Check out the following helpful strategies:
- Take a leisurely cup of coffee while basking in the morning sun
- Reboot the brain with a meditation app
- Do a quick stretching workout
- Write in a journal
Doing these simple activities will help people focus and collect their mental energy for the day. In this way, they can start their day on a positive note away from all the noise of their gadgets. Prioritizing these activities can significantly impact daily performance and productivity. This could also result in better clarity of mind and sounder decisions, including spending moments away from tech during downtimes.
3. Manage All Notifications
The sound of a pinging phone, tablet, or laptop throughout the day could increase stress levels. There’s just something about these alerts that make people feel nervous and put them on edge because the jarring sounds drive a sense of urgency, even if the messages aren’t urgent. Hence, individuals who wish to develop a healthier relationship with tech could use an app to manage notifications.
To illustrate, a helpful app that collects all messages and emails for delivery at certain periods of the day will prevent the incessant pinging of notifications. Scheduling specific hours of the day to answer emails and messages helps people become more efficient. Instead of being distracted by the sound of their gadgets, they can shift their focus to the task at hand. Notably, if this app is utilized, it’s vital to inform family members and important contacts to call and not only text if there is an emergency.
4. Carve Out Rest Periods Away From Tech
The human body is not designed for staring at the screen all day. Doing so will not only lead to physical problems like poor version or obesity but could impact mental health. Movement and interaction with other people are critical to a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, it’s crucial to pay attention to technology use. It would be beneficial to holistic health to:
- Take a break to look at something else every 30 minutes (especially if work calls for computer usage)
- Make it a point to take a short walk along the hallways or to the breakroom for some refreshments during work.
- Carve quality time with family members at home without gadgets like cooking together or playing a board game.
- Free up time for hobbies like painting, dancing, crocheting, reading a book, etc.
- Learn something new, from a foreign language to other skills like writing.
Taking time away from the screen will refresh people’s minds and allow them to rejuvenate. Doing these things means people can recharge their batteries and manage stress. More importantly, spending hours away from gadgets equates to more time for passions that enrich the soul and more time for people to build better relationships.
Final Wrap Up
Technology is here to stay, and in fact, it is getting better with each passing day. In this modern era, no matter what people do, they cannot avoid tech at work or their personal time. Thus, using devices responsibly and assessing how they impact the quality of life is vital. When people become more conscious of their gadget consumption, they won’t be enslaved by technology. They can make more intentional choices about what they do in the day. Making room for priorities and other productive endeavors equates to happier humans.
