How to improve your digital wellness
Your phone wakes you up in the morning. Maybe you have something streaming while you get ready or listen to a podcast on your commute. Between the eight hours you spend working, likely on a screen, you’re checking your phone for notifications. And once home, you’re probably using a screen of some sort for your nightly entertainment. It’s no surprise that screen time is on the rise. As this becomes the new normal, it’s a good idea to implement digital well-being practices into your life.
Digital well-being looks different for everyone. It involves using technology in a way that allows you to reap its benefits while avoiding the negative impacts of overuse.
The downsides of screen time
According to Canadian research, many individuals report spending six to seven hours a day engaging in recreational screen time after the COVID-19 pandemic. This is less than ideal, considering that health experts recommend getting two hours or less of screen time daily, which amounts to 14 hours per week. Excessive screen time can lead to mental and physical health issues such as sleep problems, eye strain, depression, anxiety and more.
Support your mental health with Doctor On Demand®
Doctor On Demand puts technology to good use by making it easy to speak with a mental health professional from the comfort of your own home. Most Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield members have virtual visit benefits through Doctor On Demand, which gives you access to virtual therapy, psychiatry visits and, in some cases, behavioral health coaching.
To avoid these downsides and improve your overall health, consider implementing digital wellness into your everyday life with these simple adjustments to build healthy digital habits.
Avoid screen time at the start and end of your day
Start your digital wellness journey by avoiding screen time first thing in the morning. Instead of setting yourself up to be distracted all day, try enjoying a book with your coffee, going for a walk without your phone or journaling instead to start your day off on the right foot. If those options aren’t for you, make a rule that you can’t look at your phone for the first 15 or 30 minutes — or whatever feels attainable — at the start of your day.
You can also try reducing your screen time before bed. The blue light from your phone can negatively impact your circadian rhythm, suppress melatonin levels and keep your brain overly stimulated, making it difficult to fall asleep.
If you find it difficult to resist the urge to scroll before bed, try charging your phone across the room or in another room completely. This can also be helpful if you have difficulty waking up, as you have to physically get out of bed to turn off your alarm.
Set screen time limits — and stick to them
Most technology comes equipped with tools you can use to improve your digital wellness habits. If your device keeps track of your screen time, you can use this data to see what websites or apps are taking up most of your time.
If you need help staying on top of your screen time, consider setting time limits. These will remind you when it’s time to get offline. These limits can often be set for specific content categories, such as social media, so they don’t interfere with work, sleep or living your life off your phone.
You may also consider using the Do Not Disturb feature to stop notifications from distracting you. Like time limits, you can customize the parameters of this feature so notifications from certain people, apps or websites are allowed.
Try wearing glasses
Phones, computers and tablets all emit blue light, a light wavelength commonly found in liquid-crystal displays (LCDs). Excessive blue light exposure can lead to headaches, eye strain and visual fatigue. As previously mentioned, blue light can also negatively impact your sleep.
While there are glasses specifically designed to limit blue light exposure, research on their impact is limited, and it hasn’t been definitively proven if they help with the eye strain caused by blue light. However, the American Academy of Ophthalmology does recommend wearing glasses instead of contacts while looking at a screen for an extended period of time to reduce eye dryness and irritation.
The 20-20-20 rule
While the effectiveness of blue light glasses is still debated, the 20-20-20 rule is a simple, yet impactful way to reduce strain on your eyes when using a screen for an extended time. For every 20 minutes spent looking at a screen, take a 20-second break and select an object at least 20 feet away to focus on. This will help relax your eye muscles and give your brain a chance to breathe.
Be sure to try this method the next time you’re using a screen for a prolonged period of time.
Curate your content consumption
While it feels like social media keeps you more connected to those around you, it may have the opposite effect. Research suggests that excessive social media usage may be linked to signs of stress, depression and anxiety.
To combat the potential negative impacts of spending too much time online, try curating the content you are consuming. Unfollow accounts that don’t interest you or those you no longer wish to keep up with. If you struggle with comparing yourself to others online, as many do, unfollow those accounts, too. This will reduce the amount of time you spend scrolling on social media and the downsides that come with it.
Apply the same principle to your email. Take a few minutes to unsubscribe from emails you don’t use and clear out your inbox for a less stressful experience.
We’re here to help
If you’re struggling with mental health issues due to your digital wellness habits or something else, Wellmark can help. Part of a healthy body is a healthy mind. This is why you can access solutions and resources to address mental health challenges with most Wellmark health insurance plans. Talk to your primary care provider or log in to myWellmark® to check your mental health benefits prior to scheduling an appointment.